13 Paternoster Row- Jenny and Vastra
by SilurianReptile
Summary: 13 Paternoster row – How I think Jenny and Vastra came to meet and their journey together... Both from Jenny's and Vastra's perspective. Not to mention the Doctor's, Clara's, and I'm sure many more friends of the Doctor.
1. Chapter 1 - Maid Needed

**13 Paternoster row – Maid needed**

13 Paternoster row was an odd place to live, surrounded by narrow slum like passages and surrounding houses badly constructed explaining their shabby outside appearance as you walked deeper through Victorian London.

Even due to its poor appearance Victorian London inhabited many people who would crowd the narrow alleys and pollute the atmosphere with the remains of cigars people once used.

With all this said we go deeper into the people who occupy 13 Paternoster row. It was originally occupied by a woman (or so we assume) who bought the house via a private sale, it was all arranged so discreetly and unknowing that no none really knows the truth behind the mysterious owner of the house.

I see her walk out the house sometimes, her appearance is rather peculiar and gives a mysterious and almost off-putting vibe towards her.

I can't really describe to you her appearance in detail due to the fact that she wears a dark black veil across her face concealing her facial features from the rest of Victorian London. She usually wears a matching black robe and dress (probably to keep herself unnoticed and more well-hidden from the world) accompanied with a black (of course) feathered hat making it known to us that she is in fact female.

Not once has any one dared to approach her or get in the way of her for any known matter, she is the sort of person that stays out of people's way and therefore people stay out of hers.

It was 6 months (approximately) since she had moved into 13 Paternoster row and it was a Monday night that I noticed a shadowy figure put up advertisement for a maid to assist her in her housekeeping.

It had been around 12 weeks and no one that I know of dared apply for the position so still the musty piece of paper remained, nailed up on the maroon coloured door for all to see.

I should probably explain who I am, writing all this for you to read at your point in time. My names Jenny Flint and I was a match girl on the streets of Victorian London. I aint had an easy life and anyone who knows me will know this. Anyway my past is my business; long story short, is my previous employer got a bit – shall we say eager for my company and I left while I had the chance. My friend told me of a vacancy going for a maid at 13 Paternoster row and that no one had yet applied due to the reason that no one knew who'd they'd be working for. I needed this job, well I needed the money. Every human has to eat and drink and the benefits of being a maid is having the certainty of having a roof over your head every night (which is defiantly needed, especially in this location).

I approached the porch and slowly walked up the steps nearing the Maroon coloured door displaying the letter for a maid which by now was embedded with many different species of insects feasting away at the half eaten piece of paper.

I knocked on the door 3 times simultaneously and a deep echoed voice made its self-heard to me saying "enter". So I did…


	2. Chapter 2 - House Arrest

**Chapter 2 – House Arrest**

**I am quite pleased of this chapter and is considerably longer than the previous chapter. Please review this so I can improve on my work and know that people are reading this story so i can continue posting chapters :)**

The door was unusually easy to open which was odd due to its reasonably large size and stiff like structure. It delivered a very high pitched squeak as I cautiously stepped inside revealing the magnificent and vintage structure of the mystique Victorian house.

Even though the house seemed quite small and cosy from the outside it was evident to say that the inside defiantly looked bigger (time lord science) than what it originally seemed only making my understanding of the job more clear that there would defiantly be more cleaning to do than I thought and no doubt a very strict working schedule.

I headed towards what I believed to be the living room of the house due to the fact that it was brighter than the rest of the rooms that I previously passed as I made my way down the hallway; as I carried on walking I noticed several odd paintings hung up on the walls which looked like they conveyed a lizard (due to the dark jade colour) but standing and almost looking like it was in human form. Trying not to get too distracted by the paintings I carried on walking to the far right of the hallway towards the well lit room.

The door leading into the room was already half open allowing me to get a brief look inside the room. I managed to spot a mahogany stool holding a transparent jug of what I could only assume was red wine due the deep crimson colour it was. To the right of that I noticed an extravagant fireplace fitted in to the brickwork of the wall explaining the luminous glow and immediate temperature change of the room as I stepped inside.

As I glanced round to the very left of the room a hooded figure made itself known moving slightly whilst sitting on the armchair hidden in the darkness. The identity was unclear due to the fact that the black veil which I saw her in many times previously covered her facial features, but I'm pretty sure she was glaring at me through the veil in which she wore.

I stopped and stared at the hooded figure for a moment wondering if I should speak first or wait for her to make herself known to me….. The silence was becoming increasingly awkward so my mouth managed to blurt out " I came 'ere about the job ma'am" however my voice tightened itself and sounded more like the squeaking door from earlier.

The figure remained still for a moment and repositioned herself upright and replied with " I assumed you had otherwise what other reason would you have for coming into my house unannounced?"

"Very true ma'am" I replied with not wanted to start an argument or big debate at this point in time.

"Very nice house" I said looking around pretending to admire the ordainments that were scattered around the room but really just wanted to avoid eye contact with the women that remained still and from what I could gather staring at me.

"It was not quite to my liking however as this was the only house that was in the location that I desired and had the space that I so required it will just have to do"

She still remained staring at me and eyeing me up and down judging my appearance no doubt which was unfortunate as my appearance itself was exactly appropriate and adequate for a job interview or whatever it was we were having.

"as I'm sure you are aware of a require a maid in my house to attend to the basic chores that I expect you to carry out when and how I tell you to do so, with this job I allow you to occupy the spare room I have at the top of the staircase and to the far left, I will supply you with money to buy items that you require and in which I require to"

I stayed standing adjacent to the fireplace and gave a small nod as I could see she was finished speaking.

"If you do choose that you still want this job after everything I just told you there is only one rule that I have in which you must abide by if you wish to keep your job, this is to stay away from the cellar; you do not go near the cellar you don't even go near to clean the door in which descends to the cellar, have I made myself quite clear?"

"y-yes ma'am" I stuttered quickly and quietly starting at her veil at the position I would expect her eyes to be at.

"you haven't ran away, I am surprised. Most apes such as yourself would have most defiantly ran by now while they had the chance, but you do not. Why?" the women said picking up the crimson red substance and lifting her veil slightly to pour the liquid in her mouth, still her face was not clear to me as the shadows consumed her identity.

"there's nothing to run from ma'am, and a jobs a job no matter the circumstances" I said wondering why he identified me as an ape and what she meant by saying it.

"I am most surprised but there is one final test for you" she said standing up and venturing closer towards me coming out from the shadows and into the luminous glow that the fire still gave out.

I stayed still, hesitant whether to move or not but my feet stayed welded to the ground as if the floorboards themselves had locked my feet in position; I remained still and continued to look at the veil of the women who as I breathed took a step closer towards me.

She stopped when she reached a distance of approximately 1 foot of my face. Her gloved hands raised uncovered her face as the veil was draped on her hat revealing a jade coloured face in which were embedded with thousands of teardrop shaped scales familiar with what I expected a lizard or snake to be like.

I gasped and stood still unable to move whether that was from shock or from my mind intrigued by such a person standing before me.

I managed to muster up a short sentence saying "what are y-you?"

The women replied with " I am a lizard women from the dawn of time, I recently rose up to your earth when the construction of the London underground was taking place disturbing my deep sleep and now am forced to live amongst you apes and the conditions in which you seem to think is acceptable to live in"

"I s-see ma'am, now I understand why ya wear 'hat veil and so many layers of clothes when you go out"

The women's face seemed shocked (only for a brief second as it's not in Silurian's nature to show emotion) " and still you don't run, why is this? I could kill you and eat your corpse in seconds and yet you don't hesitate to escape"

"are you going to kill me?" I asked the lizard women whilst staring into her eyes this time instead of the dark veil she once wore.

The lizard women stopped and stared at me for a second and came out with the response " I still desire a maid, killing you would be highly unprofessional as not only would I have to go through the process of finding another ape and eating you which is not appropriate at this hour as I already consumed a rather tasty man a few hours ago" she said whilst smirking, almost as if she wanted to get rid of me.

"Then I don't need to run then ma'am do I"

"you are a peculiar mammal, I see my appearance doesn't stop you from wanting this job so therefore I have no reason not to give it to you, you can start right away"


	3. Chapter 3 - An unexpected turn of events

**Chapter 3 – An unexpected turn of events**

**Thank you everyone who has reviewed my work and given me advice especially on the spelling aspects on it all, i will defiantly take more care with spelling and grammar. I'm not sure where whis this story is going exactly but i have a few ideas up my sleeve...**

By now I must be 6 months into my work here at 13 Paternoster Row and I now know my exact whereabouts of many of the basic items and objects that I require in order for me to fulfill my tasks for Madame Vastra or as I call her ma'am.

However you would think at 6 months into my job you would develop a good working relationship with your employer, have conversations with them from time to time and share personal information with one another as that is what is expected of two people at half a year into this. But in reality it is nothing like that; there are no conversations to be had with Madame Vastra as talking to an "ape" (as she likes to call us) is frowned upon by the Silurian race as humans are considered the weaker generation of the two species. There is no sharing of secrets or personal information as why would it be appropriate to share it if it is not needed and is irrelevant to my working requirements.

The only words I manage to muster out of ma'am's mouth is "at 6 o'clock ape" or "your assistance is no longer required" (the second one is extremely rare – it only happens if ma'am goes on an unexpected case as she likes to call them).

However we have got very good at sign language and hand gestures in the short time we spend together. I know that a shake of the hand means I am not welcome in this conversation or situation and in the short time we are in the same room Madame Vastra has learnt the art of eye rolling and is getting very good at learning sarcasm and when it is appropriate to use it (in my case it is most of the time).

My daily routine is get up at 6 or around that time as no one can be sure of what time it is; and wake up Madame Vastra as she eats a large portion of raw meat in the morning to get her through the day (or until dinner when I cook again). Ma'am then usually spends many of her hours outside for the majority of the day (where she goes is still unknown to me and still I daren't ask her where she ventures off to) then clean the house from top to bottom not leaving any scent of dust as Silurian's have a very good sense in smell so any trace of dirt she will find.

I still wonder why the cellar is out of bounds and why I am not allowed to access it, especially after 6 months working here. Does she not trust me? I mean I am the only human to not run away at the sight of her dark jade scales and very disturbing tongue that is abnormally bigger than humans and has many unexpected features like injecting poison into its victims and if not treated you will almost certainly kick the bucket as my mother would often say. Anyway I often wonder what's down there that is so dangerous that it needs several different locking mechanisms some in which I think are Silurian technology as the flashing lights and vivid colors are defiantly not crafted by us so therefore defiantly not from our Victorian era. I guess whatever is lurking down there will have to stay unidentified as there was no way that I could decode all the locking technology and I am was certainly not going to risk losing my job over it.

My routine usually ends with assisting Madame Vastra in getting into her night clothes and then getting some rest myself before the day restarts itself again... and again. However this night was different, unusual you could say.

I just finished putting Vastra to her bed chambers and finished getting ready myself, I clambered into bed and closed my eyes blocking out the rest of the world. All morning and afternoon I work for ma'am so the night time and the darkness in which accompanies it is my time. The moment just before you go to sleep your brain starts to overload itself with many unanswered questions about life and you start to really think about life and the day that you had. I was at that stage in my sleep and just about to switch my body off for a well-deserved rest when suddenly there was a crashing sound coming from what sounded like the downstairs hallway to the house.

I got up instantly and immediately started to look with something that I could arm myself with in case I came face to face with an unforeseen visitor that was not welcome in this household. I heard Vastra leap out from her bed and swoop down from the top of the staircase and hitting the lower level (to where the source of the crashing noise came from) hard and what sounded like a successful landing due to the fact that the second after I heard her screeching and wailing at someone in numerous languages in which I could only imagine would be Silurian from all the hissing.

I shortly after clambered down the staircase (deciding not to take the all in one jumping technique as I don't think I could land as triumphantly as Vastra did).

"How dare you come into my house unannounced" I heard Vastra say as I reached the near bottom of the staircase wisely deciding not to get to close with his attacking radius of me.

"You are a friend of th-the doctor's so therefore you are an enemy to me" the slender but muscular figure bellowed".

The man lunged out towards me escaping Vastra's tight grip and sliced my right hand in which I was holding a broomstick in (yes a broomstick was the only object I could find in short notice to be used as a weapon) and caused me to shriek an excruciating cry from the pain of the deathly sharp claws as it devoured several layers of my skin.

"You stay away from her" Vastra yelled and within seconds I saw a flash of her tongue spiral into the man's neck causing instant paralysis and within minutes if not seconds death.

I collapsed onto the staircase still conscious but the shock of all the unexpected events stunned me and I needed a few minutes to take everything in of what happened in a short space of time and what I thought to be an average afternoon till now.

Vastra glanced at the corpse that lay flat out on the floor and it already smelt like it was beginning to rot. She then peered up at me and saw that I was not in the best of conditions and was obviously hurt from the surprise assault.

She grabbed my hand being careful not to injure it anymore and said "the damage isn't to severe, it didn't hit any main arteries" she said grabbing a katana from her belt in which held it and began to tear up her robe in which she must of put on before she leaped down from her chambers. She then began to wrap it around my hand and said "this should help with with stopping the blood flow and make it clot reducing blood loss, just keep pressure on it".

"Thanks ma'am" I quickly said followed with a "who was 'e .

" I don't know…yet" Vastra said "But one thing is certain" she replied with glancing up at me.

"What would that be ma'am" I asked getting confused and still traumatized from the recent events.

"I shouldn't be needing breakfast tomorrow" and what looked like a slight grin from Vastra's mouth for a second or so then quickly returned to normal as of course Silurian's don't have emotions, especially towards mammals.

But questions still remained lurking in my head... Who was he? who was the doctor? but more importantly why was he after Vastra?


	4. Chapter 4 - Q&A

**Chapter 4 – Q&A**

**Thank you for everyone who are still reading my story and hope you will be pleased with this chapter. A big thanks to smile-like-santana who helped greatly. Reviews would be great also :)**

My eyes fluttered open as I lay staring at the ceiling, recapping the previous night and the events that came with it. It's funny how long you can stay still for, reminiscing on different events that pop up in your head. Should I say reminiscing? Last night wasn't exactly a memory I want to remember; I mean I nearly lost a hand; not to mention armed robbers – or whoever they might be – storming into the house at late hours in the night threatening my life and Vastra's.

Vastra however, seemed quite calm and tranquil about the foregoing night and the combat that followed it. It was almost as if she was used to unpredictable attacks and fighting. I mean; where did that Katana come from? What kind of person – let alone my employer -would carry around such a weapon unless she knew that she was a target for something or someone?

I managed to drag myself out of bed after what felt like a life time laying there and I glanced down to look at my hand, the velvet cloth that came from Vastra's robe had gotten more of a darkish red colour that stained the smooth (and most likely expensive) material. The pain however, had numbed over the night and could begin to move my hand slightly even though my movement was restricted.

I knocked on Vastra's door, as I often did each morning to start off the day waiting for a response indicating that I could come in or one that meant the opposite. I knocked again, considerably louder this time, making myself known and showing that I was outside waiting for her to respond. There was no answer….. After getting tired of waiting I bombarded through the door without hesitating expecting her just be asleep or her usual stubborn self. The room was empty. The bed looked as though it hadn't been slept in and as I continued to walk in the room, making my way to the drawers that contained her clothes for the week. I noticed that today's clothes were missing leaving the drawer vacant.

I wandered on downstairs, to the living room hoping to find some form of life in the house, sure enough Vastra was perched in her favourite armchair reading an old sooty book which was titled "Human Anatomy" or something along those lines, as the book was far too beaten for me to decode the title.

Vastra glanced up from her reading and glimpsed down towards my hand and then looked right back up to me, almost as if she was scanning me as if I was an intruder.

"Morning, ma'am." I said in a weary voice - exhausted over the recent events and too startled to sleep - trying to start off a conversation, so I could finally get some answers over what had happened last night.

"I see your hand looks better," Vastra said as the wound was now visible because I had taken off the cloth. The wound would heal better if it could come in contact with the air.

"Yes, ma'am." I responded wile peering down, examining it myself and realising the wound had started to heal since the attack.

"Ma'am?" I said quietly, hesitant on whether or not it was my place to speak without permission. "Who was tha' man and what did 'e want coming in 'ere at such a late hour."

Vastra put down the book in which she was reading, fixed her eyes on mine and said:

"I am unsure of his identity but it was clear he made an evident mistake in coming in the house." Vastra's elongated tongue then swooped out her mouth and traced round her jade lips ending with a sly hiss before she returned to staring at me, keeping very close eye contact.

This told me that I wouldn't be needed to cook breakfast as she so kindly said last night - not knowing if she was being serious or not.

"That's very well, ma'am, but – "

"I'm sure you want answers." Vastra sharply responded. "You shall get them," she assured me before adjusting her seating position. She gestured her hand towards the second leather sofa in the adjacent corner of the room.

I sat down on the chair and stayed looking down for a moment, contemplating on what to say first and how to say it without sounding too demanding or persistent.

"You didn't seem surprised, ma'am when that man broke in last night, and you knew 'ow to 'andle it straight away." I said, quietly.

"I was surprised that someone - especially an ape - would be so foolish to enter my home without my permission but indeed, I knew how to deal with the situation most effectively." She told me.

"By killing him" I said, sounding slightly shocked and also a little bitter, that she could be so quick to end a life without questioning it.

"What would you rather I do? Keep him in the house so he could slice off your other hand?" she reacted quite calmly but I could tell she was trying to contain her anger. "A maid with no hands is no longer able to carry out tasks that she would normally do and therefore you should be thankful that I intervened when I did." She added.

"I am grateful, ma'am truly I am. Also… you had a blade; I didn't know we kept 'em in the 'ouse."

"I am a Silurian warrior as I have pointed out many times. I would be reckless if I was not equipped with such things and certainly unwise to not have them in the house. Speaking of weapons: I noticed your choice of weapon wasn't exactly the wisest of choices…" she said as she glanced at the far corner of the room, where the broomstick lay propped up against the wall. I could sense a bit of mockery in her voice.

I looked down wondering how I was going to get out of this one without sounding idiotic and absent minded.

"It was the only thing that I could find, ma'am, in such – such short notice" I stammered looking back at the broom. I didn't want to look at Vastra in the eye after what I just said. I was sure that she would think I was a moron.

Vastra watched me as I started to fix my eyes onto anything in the room except her.

"Again, I am surprised by you." Vastra said after much thought "All my books in which I read about you apes all say that human emotions are crucial in how a human reacts in different circumstances. You were undoubtedly scared last night explaining why you didn't attack or move out of harm's way," Vastra paused for a second and then continued: "but you are evidently scared right now and yet you don't run or try to escape."

"I am-" I was suddenly cut off by Vastra's hand indicating me to be quiet.

"I now want to ask you some questions, so I can understand why you are so different and confusing to me." She said.

I nodded, unsure of what she might ask me, it's not as if I know anything about what happened last night, so how could I be of any use to her?

"I want you to only answer my questions with one word." She began.

"Why?" I asked, a bit confused by her request.

"Truth is singular. Lies are words." She reacted.

I nodded, my muscles tensing slightly as nerves were taking over my body.

Vastra began her questioning with: "How do you feel right now?"

"Scared." I replied

"So, why don't you run? Why stay here?" She wondered.

"Curiosity." I responded after a little bit of a pause.

"About?" She asked.

"You." I told her with a delicate smile.

Vastra hesitated for a moment and smiled slightly – only for a brief second – before she interrogated me further.

"This house is dangerous, I am dangerous. If you stay, here you will not be safe. I can't guarantee your safety and wellbeing." Vastra said her eyes looking at mine, waiting for a response. "So, will you stay?" She wondered.

I nodded. "Yes." I replied.

"Why?" Was her next question.

I remained silent uncertain of what to say, looking up at Vastra trying to find something to delay her answer with. I looked into her sea blue eyes that glistened in the embers of the fire, I smiled and said: "Trust"

Vastra looked alarmed by my response and looked over to the staircase through the living room door, where the events of last night took place before her eyes rested briefly on the broom. Then, she turned back to me.

"If you are going to stay here, I say that is a very foolish move, but it is brave. However, you must learn how to defend yourself, if you are expected to survive for more than a day." She told me.

"How?" I asked, wondering how I would possibly learn how to fight and defend myself in such ways.

"I shall teach you." Vastra answered and with that she got up from the armchair. She looked at me for a split second, before she walked out the room.

I remained in the same place. Me, a fighter? Could I really learn everything that I need to? Well, I guess there's only one way to find out…


	5. Chapter 5 - A Warrior in the making

**Chapter 5 – A warrior in the making**

I followed Vastra up the staircase as she lead me to the far right hand side of the hallway and into the spare room in which I enter frequently as part of my job to clean every inch of the house from top to bottom.

The door creaked open, allowing Vastra and myself to move into the room. I noticed that an antique chestnut coloured box was apparent in the middle of the room and all the furniture that was once placed immaculately around the room, had been moved and repositioned against the walls making the room seem astonishingly bigger than it once was.

Vastra unbolted the hinges on the chest and started unloading the contents onto the timbered floor, neatly in one line. They all appeared to be different kinds of weapons which, I'm guessing Vastra must of used at some point and has stored them in there for safe keeping or for a scenario such as this one.

"You may choose one of these to get started." Vastra hissed, continuing to place numerous weapons on the floor, admiring each one as they came out.

There must have been at least 20 different kinds of weapons, each one unique and distinctive in their own way.

I was familiar with the majority of the weapons that were placed in front of me. Numerous swords, one longer than the other and differently shaped blades, daggers with jewels incrusted in the handles and staffs all of different lengths and I'm sure, different purposes.

I knelt down and took the different weapons in my hand - which by now had healed fine with only a minute scar left in its place - and feeling their weight. I compared the separate weapons from one another, trying to find the one best for me. I wasn't sure what I was looking for exactly but I was hoping that when I picked it up it would just feel right, that I would have some kind of connection with it.

I stood back up still undecided and puzzled to which one to pick. Maybe it was some kind of test, would choosing the wrong weapon have some sort of consequence? Would the weapon I pick describe what kind of person I am to Vastra?

I looked back at the box in which the weapons were once in and noticed that one weapon was yet to be taken out and placed out with the rest. I picked it up and wielded it between my hands. It was some kind of blade, a blade that I was unfamiliar with and somewhat different from the others that I had previously seen. The blade was curved slightly as it extended from the handle and almost seemed to glisten when I looked into the gleaming blade itself seeing my reflection and smiling and nodding slightly to myself. My hands inspected the handle running my fingers over it and feeling bumps from where many different jewels were embedded and the odd inscriptions carved in between the jewels, which weren't English, meaning that I was unable to understand its meaning.

I turned around to look at Vastra, who was leaning on the far corner of the wall between the different pieces of furniture scattered around and appeared to be smiling (at least what I thought was a smile, I was unsure what a Silurian smile looked like).

"You have a good eye" she said as she pushed herself off the wall and approached me slowly. She took the weapon from me – not unkindly - and ran her hands down the surface of the sword and slid it through the air with great technique before she handed it back to me.

"You chose the katana, a very fine blade." She informed me.

Vastra pulled out her weapon that she stored in her belt, revealing what looked like a katana also but only bigger in size. "I also choose to fight with one, the blade slices through your victim's skin and inserts itself deeper into the victim's body, penetrating any organ and bone that stands in its way." She slid her katana back into its strap and then continued to speak.

"It's very good that you chose the smaller katana from the others that lay before you but mastering the art of becoming one with your weapon is a very difficult task and requires a strong amount of dedication and willpower; now I will assist you in training you. I'll teach you how to move and act when holding this weapon but the majority of the work will be down to you, and you alone." She explained.

I stood upright glancing down at the katana that I picked for myself whilst listening to Vastra speak what seemed like very wise words indeed and words that I must take in if I wanted to become a warrior like herself and impress her.

"When will I train, ma'am." I asked, wondering how I could fit any more time into my busy working schedule. It was packed already, without adding this to the never ending list.

"You will take one hour off every afternoon, in which I will train you to fight and teach you the ways of my people. I also expect you to train individually, so you will have to make time for that yourself."

I nodded, I didn't think Vastra realised how much time it takes to clean a Victorian house every day, buy and prepare her numerous meals without forgetting to reheat the fireplace every few hours so her body temperature would remain up to her standards. It's a lot of work.

"I also feel the need to tell you that I use my katana on a regular basis; I roam out into the streets when it is quiet and undisturbed, decreasing the population of thugs and apes that decide to take the wrong approach in life." She revealed.

This explained the random disappearances each day and why the house always smelt of decaying corpses when she came back from her "walk" as she used to say, when asked where she'd been.

Vastra then walked out of the room slamming the door shut, leaving me to drown in my own thoughts for a moment and take in everything that has been said over the past few hours. I then decided to start my training now as I was eager to master the art of being a warrior as Vastra called it. And so I began….

An hour had passed and I made my way down the stairs after placing my sword in the wardrobe of my room, so I had easy access to it in case of any surprise attacks that we may have. I then made my way to the living room and suddenly felt very light headed. It was as if someone had walked over my grave as my body felt a shudder of cold breeze blow right through me causing my vision to blur slightly; I backed myself up against the wall and took a moment to regain my sight and strength. I peered at the cellar down that was on the left of me (and to the left of the living room) and stared at it for a moment. I sensed a ghostly kind of presence every time I walked past it but tended to ignore it as I believed it was in my imagination and still do. It always felt colder when near the cellar door. Whether this was just in my conscience as I was eager to know what was down there or if it really was something causing the freaky temperature change I will not know. I guess it will have to wait until I find a way to get it out of Vastra.

I managed to get myself in the living room, not wanting to remain close to the cellar for a moment longer and I laid down on the sofa, shutting my eyes. I rested only for a very short moment though and then started to stare at the fire from the fireplace, which was really starting to pick up heat now, from the new log I placed in not long ago. The fire roared and gave my body a reassuring and welcoming heat as my body slowly started to shut down. I closed my eyes as I fell asleep in the living room.


	6. Chapter 6 - An old friend

**Chapter 6 – An old friend **

I awoke to the sound of the townspeople outside, as the markets were being set up and were made ready for business. I sat myself upright, stretching whilst looking over at the fireplace, noticing that new logs needed to be put in to keep the strong intensity of heat suitable for Madame Vastra.

It was undoubtedly too early to wake Vastra up, so I decided to get a head start on chores and buy some supplies that we needed from the market place which was nearly ready to open and start their trade.

The temperatures were always so much colder in the early hours of the day, so several warm layers of clothes were needed just to not feel the cold. I finished buying the essentials that Vastra and I needed, and some extra's with the remaining money I had (a new waistcoat for me as the last one was torn into pieces when Vastra insisted on showing me a new fighting move).

I opted to take a different route back home as the market place was becoming frightfully crowded and would take twice as long to get back, making Vastra mad at me for not waking her at her "desired" hour (which seemed to change every day recently). The alleyways were very narrow and compact as I continued to walk through them, hoping to get out of them soon and return home as many unwelcoming memories were returning of my life as a match girl and the horrors that came with it.

Silence quickly drowned out the market place and nothing could be heard for several minutes of me walking, except from the occasional drip of water from the pipework around me. I was about 2 minutes from the house and I was relieved that nothing disastrous happened. I turned the final corner of the alleys leading me on the pathway straight home, whispering to myself "Well done, Jen." I was proud of myself that I could face my past and the horrific events that I always associated it with.

"J-Jenny, is that… is that you?" I heard.

I shot around grabbing a pocket knife that I carried in my pocket (ever since Vastra started to train me she was very persistent in saying that I should never go outside without some form on backup). I pointed the knife out in front of me and got into a battle stance that Vastra taught me to use when carrying a small weapon such as this one.

I squinted my eyes looking round the alley way trying to work out where that voice came from. It sounded vaguely familiar but I couldn't be sure. A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness.

She appeared to be a female, 19-20 maybe. I still couldn't tell who she was but as she grew nearer her chestnut coloured eyes were more apparent; I recognised who the figure was.

"Gabrielle!" I exclaimed.

I ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug I possibly could and squeezed her so tight I was surprised she wasn't suffocated. "What are you doing here?" I asked in a high pitched tone, "Where are the other girls?"

When I was a match girl, (after my mother and father sold me out to a group of bandits for 2 packets of cigars) Gabrielle looked after me and protected me from any thug who would dare come near me and try anything.

"The Vipers got into trouble with some dealers a few days back and the dealers started to take us as their payment instead of the money that the Vipers owed." she said in a very quick manner. She took a deep breath and continued to speak "The girls and I split up, some have already been captured and are back under the control of the Vipers; but a few others, including myself are still in hiding, scattered in different locations." She said, managing to get every word out that she wanted before gasping for air once more.

"Calm down Gab, it's alright… Where are the other girls hiding?"

"I don't know!, I just ran, I didn't think." She shrieked, bursting into tears and resting her head on my shoulder as I comforted her whilst looking around the alleyways to see if anyone was coming.

"Right, you're coming back with me." I told her to her, "Madame and I will take care of you until it's all settled. Don't worry, it's all gonna be okay." I reassured her; hoping that Vastra would take in Gabrielle for a short while, as we settled the deal with these Vipers.

I unlocked the door to the house, aware that I was very late and was supposed to wake her up a long time ago. I sat down Gabrielle in the armchair and looked at the fireplace noticing that the logs were still burning good from this morning.

"You just wait here while I get you some blankets, okay?" She nodded, shaking slightly, whether that was from the shock of all the events or due to the fact that she's in a strangers house, I didn't know. I started to walk out of the room, only to be stopped by Vastra who didn't look happy to see me.

"Not only were you late in waking me, but you spent my money on fashion items." She said, scowling at me looking at the basket on the floor with the new waistcoat I bought.

I bit my lip, struggling to find an answer that would explain the situation. Vastra then started sniffing and hissing noticing that another mammal was present and then glared at me saying "And you are foolish enough to bring in another ape without warning me!" I remembered that people weren't used to seeing a lizard woman with green scales as skin.

Gabrielle started to scream and panic letting out cries such as "She's green!" or "I'm gonna be lizard food!" as she started to bolt for the door. I grabbed her by the arm and held her other hand tightly with mine.

"Gab, it's okay she's a friend."

"A-a-a friend" she stuttered "How on God's earth can that- that green thing be your friend." she shouted looking at Vastra then quickly looking back at me.

"Look, she took me in alright, so she's as good as family." I said forgetting that Vastra was still in the room, listening to the conversation that I was having with Gabrielle. Vastra looked at me puzzled and then walked up to Gabrielle her nose twitching from the stench of her rundown clothes which were wet through.

"Why bring an ape into my house?" she asked in a softer tone then before trying not to scare the human in the room.

"She's an old friend " I explained and told her about my past, about being a match girl, the current situation with the Vipers and the other girls scouted round London.

"I see." she said pacing around the room clenching her sword with her fist tightening and loosening her grip (ever since she started to train me, she would carry the sword on her now instead of hiding it as she once had to do).

"These Vipers sound like they have caused a lot of destruction in this area… it would be absurd of me to leave them be." She said and looked over at Gabrielle who had calmed down considerably in the time it took to explain the situation.

"I will help you ape, but if you dare tell anyone of me and what you have seen or reveal Jenny's location: then I will find you, cut you into tiny pieces and feast on your skin…We will start looking for them when it gets dark."

Gabrielle gulped loudly but nodded, still holding onto me tightly for reassurance. I told her she could take my room and told her to go up and get changed into some of my clothes that were in the wardrobe. I also said that she should feel free to take a bath.

As she wandered off so that left me and Vastra to talk and no doubt argue about today's events.

"You never told me of your past." She said her eyes locking with mine.

"You said that you didn't wish to share secrets about your life, so I assumed it worked both ways… ma'am" Almost forgetting to address her correctly.

She listened to my response and walked upstairs into her room without a word said. I wondered if I offended her in not telling her about my past life experiences and everything that happened to me. I was touched that she was also concerned about Gabrielle, not wanting to reveal my whereabouts to anyone. Whether this was her being protective over me or ensuring her own safety, I will still happy that she would want me to be safe.

With that, I went on to clean the house as I doubted Vastra would be happy if I skipped the rest of my choirs for today.


	7. Chapter 7 - First Blood

**Chapter 7 – First Blood**

**Sorry I have been so slow in updating, I've been busy with schoolwork and have had job interviews that i was preparing for.**

The sky was growing deeper in the colour as the darkness consumed what was left of the light. I turned round from looking outside the window to face Gabrielle, she seemed very edgy and uneasy with what was about to happen.

"Don't worry" I said resting my hands on Gabrielle's shoulders, Vastra knows what she's doing, she is very experienced as she has vowed to protect you and you should believe that.

Vastra emerged from the hallway which she'd been pacing down for the last 5 minutes. "We all know the plan yes?" she said with an authoritative voice.

"You go under cover with Gabrielle disguised as a former match girl. You make yourself know to the Vipers so they think you're under their control" she paused for breath looking at both of us "when there is an opening I will come out from the shadows and strike them down"

I nodded. We had went through this plan a dozen times know and could most likely recite it back word for word back to Vastra.

I glanced at Gabrielle who also nodded and raised her hood from her cloak over her head and went out into the hallway ready to go.

Vastra turned to look at me. "you have your dagger yes?

I moved my cloak over to one side revealing the dagger tucked away, hidden from sight ( as much as I'd of liked to bring my katana the blade was simply to big and would be near impossible to disguise with the few layers I was wearing).

"Only use it if you or Gabrielle are in danger, otherwise wait for me to intervene; we don't want you two starting an attack against uneven odds do we?"

"I know the plan ma'am, let the Vipers capture us and wait for you to attack"

Vastra nodded and gestured her hand towards the hallway indicating that we were ready to go. I raised my hood and she lowered her veil as we made our way to the door to start our plan.

We arrived at the alleyway that I first found Gabrielle in and turned to face Vastra.

"You two carry on, ill be close behind in the shadows watching"

I nodded placing my hand of Gabrielle's back as we continued on into the darkness.

It's strange. I'd always seen the darkness as a threat and a hinder to us but this time is helping us and being used as our advantage.

15 minutes into walking and Gabrielle stopped in her tracks "I hear them" she whispered pointing forward into the distance. She was right, the sound of faint voices could be heard as the wind echoed them towards us.

"Just stick to the plan I said" we carried on walking, the voices getting louder and more clear. Gabrielle gripped my hand tightly as we saw figures in the mist emerge.

"Hey there's more of them"

The men (all dressed in black material with neckerchiefs showing the symbol of a viper) charged towards us pulling me and Gabrielle apart and examining us whilst tossing us between themselves like it was some kind of sick game.

"Gabrielle, so nice of you to join us again" a bald headed man holding a cigar surfaced from the group making himself visible. I recognized the man within an instant. It was Draco. He puffed the smoke from the cigar into Gabrielle's face watching her choke on the fumes and then turned to look at me. He tore off my hood which was still covering my face and gripped his hand strongly on my chin hoisting my head upwards so he could get a look to who I was. He smirked and let out a bellowing laugh.

"My my, if it isn't little Jenny, innocent little Jenny, haven't seen you since you since our raid at Wilkins (a tavern around 4-5 miles from here), thought you could escape us did ya? Think you were too good for us did ya? " he smiled showing off his decayed teeth and foul breath.

"Well welcome back to the gang" he said, "I think a welcome home party is in order what do you think lads?" he turned facing the other members of the group (all male) and they smirked eyeing me and Jenny up.

Every time a new member would have the unfortunate experience of joining the Vipers (if they were female) would have to "entertain" of the men if you know what I mean. I was only 13 when I was sold to them and Draco wanted "entertaining".

All the experiences of my early childhood came flooding back, I thought I could forget about them but they will always find a way to come back and haunt you.

I looked at Gabrielle who was being tugged and pulled by the members of the gang and I looked round the alleys. "Now would be a great time Vastra" I muttered to myself looking at how terrified Gabrielle was.

I know I had to stick to the plan and tried hard to bite my tongue but it was difficult because I just wanted to explode with anger at how they were treating Gabrielle.

Draco took one more puff of his cigar and scuffed his foot on it leaving a ash trail on the ground. He then went over to Gabrielle and clenched her neck tightly "Where are the other brats" he spoke directly into Gabrielle's face still keeping a tight grip.

"I-I don't know" she squealed struggling to breath from the pressure Draco was applying on her neck.

Draco then glanced over at me and grinned, "either you tell me where they are or ill end Jenny's life here and now" he shouted raising a knife to my chin. I could feel the point of the cold blade touching my skin but stared into Gabrielle's eyes telling her not to reveal anything.

"It would be quite a pity though, me and Jen had become quite good friends over the months aint we" he looked at me running his hand down my breasts "maybe ill just keep you as my little pet for when im feeling restless" he smirked.

I glared into Draco's eyes trying hard to free myself from the hands of the other gang members. But at that point something sliced through the air knocking Draco down in an instant. The men released my hands from their sweaty grips and all pulled out daggers from their pockets. Gabrielle ran over pushing her head into my shoulders for comfort as I looked round the area trying to suss out where Vastra was now.

"Take the girls and run" I heard one of the gang members say. They pulled me away from Gabrielle and started to drag me into a darker alleyway away from where Draco lay. He wasn't dead only paralysed from Vastra's sting.

Vastra then launched out of the shadows grabbing her Katana from her belt and slaughtering everyone in her sights. Man by man dropped down as Vastra maintained her speed and ferocity making her way through the group getting closer to us.

I grabbed my dagger from under my cloak and I too joined in with the fight, wanting to assist Vastra in the battle easing her load.

A man had managed to escape Vastra's blade and ran towards Gabrielle and the alley behind us leading him into the market where he's be safe from harm.

He brushed pass me and I seized the opportunity to push my dagger into his side just as he reached for Gabrielle. He froze. Looking down at his side, blood was now flooding out of his side as the wound was ripped open from the blade. He put his hand on it trying to apply pressure but by that point the blood loss was too severe and he collapsed on the floor laying there are the blood continued to run on the ground staining the stone work to a crimson red colour.

I looked down at the corpse and then at my dagger. It was covered in the man's blood. Gabrielle ran up to me and put her arm round me. I still stared at the dagger shocking by what I had just done.

Vastra could see was in shock and started to move the body away from my line of sight and into a nearby alley with the rest of the men's bodies that didn't survive Vastra's wrath.

2 hours later (after we had dropped of Gabrielle with an old friend of Vastra's who said he'd see to her and the other match girls safety) I lay on the armchair in the corner of the room where I'd been for the last 45 minutes and stayed staring at the floor.

Vastra came over to me and sat in the armchair adjacent to me.

"You did well" Vastra said looking at me waiting for some kind of sign that I heard her speak

"I- I killed someone"

"Who did what was right, they were harming your friend you did what was necessary to keep her safe"

I looked up at Vastra and smiled, she two seemed to let out a small grin as she looked into my eyes.

"Thank you ma'am" I said after "for Draco I mean"

Vastra frowned "yes he managed to escape…. But he'll be back, and when he does he would be lucky to escape again"

I smiled. "I think im gonna take a bath ma'am wash all this filth off" she nodded and said that would be a good idea.

I turned to head towards the bathroom but then stopped and turned around heading towards Vastra and wrapped my arms around her and whispered "thanks ma'am" softly.

Vastra didn't move but just looked down at me and placed her hands round my waist looking slightly confused. I guess Silurians didn't hug one another to show affection I thought to myself.


	8. Chapter 8 - Family Truths

**Chapter 8 – Family Truths**

My sword fighting has improved greatly over the past month or so. I can manage to deflect most of Vastra's attacks, however just when you think you have one over on her she'll have a trick up her sleeve and steal the advantage from me once again. Come to think of it most of the training sessions end with me plummeting onto the floor with a big grin on Vastra's face before she pulled me back up.

I must be grateful to Vastra though. I mean yes she's my employer but she has put a roof over my head and given me safety and security when no one else gave me the chance. She's taught me how to defend myself and became almost like family to me. My ma always said blood is thicker than water and don't you forget it, but Vastra's became closer to me than any of my family were. My ma was constantly drunk and seizing every opportunity possible to "sell" herself to anyone who was willing to pay and my father…. Well my father never cared for me otherwise he wouldn't have sold me out to the Vipers. I had an older brother and sister. Charlie (aged 17) and Anna (19) but I can't really remember them. I mean im 16 now and I was 12 when I was sold to the vipers meaning Charlie would have been 13 and Anna 15. Charlie was never around. He would always stay well away from the family and never dare come back into the house after father gave him a beating and threatened to "slice his head off and keep it as a souvenir". Anna I remember more of. We shared the same room and she'd always tell me bedtime stories each night, a different one every time. She'd always look out for me when ma and pa were in a state. However when I was sold off to the Vipers I never saw either of them again. I often wondered if they looked for me and if they still think about me?

Whilst I was lost in my thoughts Vastra walked up and stood by the side of me. Puzzled by my lack of movement. She tapped me on the shoulder causing me to jump.

"Oh sorry ma'am I didn't see you there" I said startled.

"What were you thinking about?" she replied, looking into my eyes

"oh nothing important ma'am I don't matter"

"You're lying to me"

"Wh-what?" I said looking at Vastra with the same confused look she gave me from before

"You heart rate is beyond normal, your blood is rushing your body at the twice the speed it should and I have learnt enough to know when you are lying Jenny"

I forgot that Vastra could tell my pulse rate, she is a Silurian after all. I also noticed that she chose to call me by my name rather than ape or human. I smiled to myself for a moment.

"I was just thinking about my family ma'am, seeing Gabrielle again made me think about my past and my family again. That's all.. I'm fine" I said grabbing a cloth and started to clean the dishes from yesterday's meal trying to distract myself and end the conversation.

"You were like this earlier when we were training" Vastra said "you were off balance constantly and missing every opportunity to strike me, you are not fine"

I looked down putting the cloth and dish to one side and turned to face Vastra.

"I guess I just wonder what my life would have been like if I had parents who cared, and I guess I miss my sister" I said in a quiet voice.

Vastra looked shocked for a second and then said "you have a sister?"

"and a brother yes, but they are long gone now, probably even forgot I exist"

"Tell me about your family" Vastra said looking into my eyes and me looking into hers.

I took a deep breath in and nodded heading to the living room so we could sit down and talk.

After what felt like a lifetime explaining my family and past to Vastra (who'd been listening to every word very carefully) she got up from her armchair and perched on the arm of mine and put her hand on my shoulder and said "I never knew apes could go through so much and still carry on in life".

"You have to ma'am otherwise you'll be stuck in a life of despair and destruction and that's something I wish on no one"

"There's one I don't understand" Vastra said facing to look at me resting in the armchair.

"You say you were close to your brother once, yet he didn't come back for you when you were living in that pit, why?"

"I'm not sure", I said questioning why Charlie didn't come back for me, he was my older brother he should have been protecting me and Anna not leaving Anna to deal with the wrath of our parents"

"I guess he was scared" I said finally. "Scared of what father might do if he saw him again"

"Stupid ape" Vastra hissed "letting emotions get the better of him, if I were him I'd –"

"But you weren't" I said interrupting Vastra "He was and he decided to stay away, and even though I don't know why he didn't come back for me I have to believe there was a good enough reason why he didn't stand up ma and pa cause if I don't I only remember a brother who ran and that's not my brother" I said starting to cry slightly.

Vastra saw the tears come streaming down my face and knew that this was not good for humans, especially Jenny.

Vastra stood up from the arm of the chair and sat next to me placing her hand on mine. She didn't say anything she just smiled.

I cuddled up to Vastra getting my tears on her clothes and causing her to shake due to the bad state I was in. Vastra just stayed there with me, that's all I needed, a friend.

Time had passed now and I had calmed down since the talk with Vastra. I must have fell asleep because I had a blanket over me and the fire was roaring with the embers bouncing up and down in the fireplace which Vastra must have lit to keep me warm.

I came to realize that Vastra is more than my employer or my boss. She is a friend. Someone who cares for me even if she is hesitant to show it sometimes; and I know that with her by my side, everything will be alright, I just feel reassured when I'm with her. That's more than my parents ever gave me but then they weren't really my family. Vastra was, and she's all I need.


	9. Chapter 9 - Interspecies relationship

**Chapter 9 - An Old Friend**

I managed to tear myself away from the sofa in which I slept on for the night. It was a comforting place to sleep. The fire heating the room, the luxurious armchairs which sink down and take you in as soon as you sit into one, but more importantly it's a room where you can just sit and think. Nothing to distract you, nothing to stop you in your tracks. Just a room where you can catch up on your thoughts.

Vastra was already up and changing herself and by the sound of it she wasn't doing a very good job. You could hear her hissing and snarling from downstairs and the thumping of numerous objects being thrown onto the ground.

Soon after I heard her come down the stairs and entered the living room in which I was replacing the old burnt out logs with some new ones that I picked up from the market a few days back.

"You're up ma'am, and changed I see" I said in a croaky tone (I think all the crying and wailing from last night had left my voice in a bad state and needed time to recover).

"Yes, you needed rest after yesterday, besides I am quite capable of getting ready myself" she replied, looking at me with an almost sarcastic face (as I mentioned lots of times Vastra is improving with sarcasm greatly).

"Yes, I heard" I laughed quietly to myself not wanting Vastra to hear. But of course she did, the number of times I forget that Silurians have a great sense of hearing.

Vastra looked at me unamused. "I was being considerate, I didn't think you wanted to be woken up due to last night's conversation. I was showing… what's the word, the thing that humans show to determine their mood?"

"emotion" I said whilst folding up the blanket that was still spread out over the sofa. "thank you ma'am" I said putting down the now neatly folded blanket over to one side of the sofa "I know that you could 'ave easily woke me, but you didn't". I faced Vastra who was fiddling with her veil that was caught up around her hat.

"and thanks for being there, last night I mean" I said walking over to Vastra and raised my hand to sort out the veil that lay tangled and twisted. "It 'elped 'aving someone to talk to about things like that, I guess we are somewhat alike, we both 'ave difficult pasts…but we got through 'em, I got through it; thanks to you"

Vastra remained still listening to me speak and watching me untangle the veil from her hat. "You have become strangely attached to me over the time that we have known each other, I consider you a….friend….."

I smiled up at Vastra and lowered the veil after minutes of trying to straighten it out "me too" I said quietly.

Vastra and I smiled at each other gazing into one another's eyes. Sometimes I think I can lose myself staring into then. The sea blue colour seems to come alive from inside her and almost make you feel safe. Protected.

Vastra rest her hand on my shoulder for a moment and then said "I need to go out for an important meeting, I shan't think I'll be back until late so don't wait up for me"

I nodded and continued to smile up at Vastra. "Another case I assume?".

"No, in fact im meeting an old friend" she said turning to walk out to the door "a very old friend".

I didn't know Vastra had any friends from this side of town, let alone Victorian London. I nodded at her showing her that I understood and watched her leave the living room.

"Oh and Jenny, my bedroom will require some much needed cleaning" she said whilst shutting the door as she entered the ice cold weather that lay outside.

I opened her door leading into her bedroom. Cracked open vases and flowers with the soil embedded into the grooves in the wooden floorboards surrounded the room. Clothes that had been ripped up and thrown onto the floor and the mirror (which was on the left side of the room above the chest of drawers) was smashed and glass lay scattered in what seemed like a million tiny pieces.

"Oh Vastra" I sighed. Looks like I'm in for a busy day.

After what felt like an endless amount of time cleaning and a brief bit of sword practice in the spare room. I pondered downstairs into the living room which was where I spend any free time I had reading or just resting, thinking back through the day I had. I figured Vastra would be back soon as the night was late and the moon was suspended high in the sky with not a sound in sight. I figured that knowing Vastra she wouldn't have had time to eat from the meeting with her friend so I went into the kitchen to cut up some raw meat into manageable chunks she could easily eat along with some pigs blood that I know now is animal's blood rather than red wine.

I lay it out on the table and pulled up a chair and waited helping myself to some fruit that I bought from the market not long ago.

Soon enough Vastra returned and found her way into the kitchen as I figured that'd be the first place she'd go. She seemed surprised that I was there but then joined me in sitting down and tucked into the food that lay in front of her.

"I thought I said don't wait up for me" she said whilst playing with the meat that was on her plate.

"I just thought that you'd be hungry ma'am being as late as it is, and I didn't think you would eat whilst you were out".

Vastra smiled watching me finish some strawberries that were on the table. "you were right, it has been a very busy day indeed and I was most hungry"

I laughed and said "thought so ma'am". "If you don't mind me asking who was it that you went to meet?"

"A very old friend" she said finishing the last of her food, "his name is the doctor and he is a marvellous man, travels the stars and fights crime but never choses to carry a weapon"

"is 'e 'uman" I asked wondering if Vastra knew any other species of well….whatever he was"

"he appears to look human" she said swiftly moving onto her second lot of pigs blood and downing it incredibly fast. "but no, he is what you call a timelord, he travels in time to different planets, meeting different people in different time periods".

I sat listening to Vastra, amazed at how she described this man she called the Doctor. I never thought Vastra looked up to anyone, but the way she talked about him, he almost sounds like a god.

"Sounds unbelievable, travelling wherever and whenever you want, how does he travel?"

"in the tardis, it's his time machine" she said in between gulps "and yes it does have its perks hopping through time and space but indeed it has its consequences, he has lost many dear to him and has a huge deal of enemies that want him removed from this world" she said putting the empty glass to one side now focusing on me.

"he sounds very important to you"

"he is, he is the only person I can rely on when all seems lost"

I nodded, somewhat offended that she didn't think she could rely on me. I mean no I can't travel in time or space and no im not a timelord but I still do countless things for Vastra that im sure the doctor doesn't do. I mean you don't see the doctor preparing meals every day and cleaning bedrooms on end.

Vastra scanned my face somewhat sensing my anger or disappointment. "Of course the doctor is a very important man to me but Jenny you are the person I am most thankful for in life and blessed that I came across you some time ago" she said still looking at me waiting for a response.

"I could never compare to the doctor ma'am" I said " I can't do any of them things you described" shrugging my shoulders avoiding eye contact.

"No you can't…but you are here for me every day and that's what matters most to me, before I met you I despised the human race and wanted revenge on them for what they did to my sisters, but now you gave me hope that there are still humans on this planet that are pure of heart and as caring as you are my dear"

I blushed and instantly forgot the anger I felt for Vastra. I leant over and placed my hand onto hers. Vastra was unsure but kept her hand in place and held onto mine softly. "I really mean that much to you?"

Was it strange that I was feeling some sort of attraction to Vastra? I mean there are probably laws against interspecies relationships that I was unaware of. But her smooth scaly skin and those eyes were almost hypnotizing, and without knowing she was pressing my lips onto mine, touching her hard but velvety skin.

I didn't make any attempt to pull back, I was somewhat happy. she ushered me onto her lap and cradled me into her body keeping me warm from the frost in the air. Hugging me and resting her head on mine as we just stopped and sat listening to the wind outside whistling through the trees.

"Yes my dear you do".


	10. Chapter 10 - Trouble in Paradise

**Chapter 10 – Trouble in Paradise**

**Not really happy with this chapter at all... sorry it took a bit longer to upload, I've been very busy lately. Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing it means a lot.**

You'd think being with Vastra as an "item" would have its advantages. Of course there is, she's a lizard woman from the dawn of time there are many highlights of being with Vastra; but ever since I expressed my feelings for her she has been very overprotective and arrogant.

It's like, just because we are together that gives her an excuse to continuously go out mysteriously and not tell me her whereabouts, or constantly arguing with me about accompanying her on her cases because I "may" get hurt. I mean it's nice to know that she cares about me and my wellbeing but she treats me as a child. I can handle a sword easily; she trained me for heaven's sake, yet im still not ready to go out with her on these cases. "I am aware Jenny that you are skilful when it comes to sword fighting but using a weapon is not a game and I sometimes think you forget that" she said before she went out last night. How could she think that I thought this was all a game, I was a match girl after all, I spent my 'hole life defending myself from thieves and thugs of the streets. Maybe she thinks our relationship is just a game? An excuse to keep me in the house and keep me quiet? Does she really care for me like I do for her?

I would usually sit in the kitchen now and wait for Vastra to return, welcoming her with her favourite food and beverage but I figured I should put this time to good use and practice my sword fighting. When I'll actually get to put my skills to the test I don't know but I was mad at Vastra for not trusting that I can defend myself so I needed to let off some steam anyway.

I was still in the spare room when Vastra returned. I heard her travel into the kitchen where she usually finds me at this hour. I carried on with my practice, perfecting the different stances and moves that I had learnt over the last few months. By this point I heard Vastra come up the stairs and move into the spare room watching me with my sword.

"You weren't in the kitchen?" Vastra said leaning on the frame of the door looking slightly tired (most likely due to another case cracked).

"No im not" I replied, with a sarcastic tone, continuing with my work

Vastra looked down at the floor for a second and then looked back up at me "I see you are mad at me" she said studying my behaviour and movement

"How did you guess? Because you genuinely care or because you monitored my heart rate or because you can smell it in the air" I said between breaths launching myself forward and backwards at the target with my sword.

"We Silurians have the ability to measure he-"

"Yes I know you Silurians can do everything we apes can't" interrupting Vastra

Vastra paced forward into the room. "Jenny put down the sword" she said softly

"Why am I in danger of cutting myself or breaking a nail?"

I was without a doubt still mad at Vastra for making feel trapped and imprisoned when I could be outside helping her with important cases and fighting for the greater good as she used to say.

"Because I want to talk to you" she said gently.

I looked up at her and knew she could tell that I was actually upset and I wasn't just in one of my "moods" as she liked to call them. I rested the sword on the training dummy that was in need of repair after the wrath it took from me.

Vastra walked up to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong Jenny" she said looking down at me and moving the hair out of my eyes that fell astray from the bun my hair was tied back in.

I stayed still, letting her play with my hair as she seemed so fascinated in it and said "you treat me like a child, you think im incapable of protecting myself and apparently I think sword fighting is a game" I took a deep breath in trying not to over react and get angry again. "You know my past ma'am, I've lived on the streets before and know 'ow to look after myself, that's what I've done my 'hole life. My ma and pa were completely different people when they turned to alcohol; I'm strong enough to help you!" I said almost blowing the house down.

Vastra tucked my hair over my ear and touched my cheek with her hand (still wearing her gloves) "I'm fully aware that you can protect yourself Jenny and I know your past has proved difficult to you but that has made you the person you are now" she said still stroking my cheek. "you do know that it isn't necessary for you to call me ma'am, you are certainly more important than a housemaid now".

I looked down "am I?" I mumbled to myself.

"Jenny?" Vastra said, putting her hand on my chin making me raise my head (why do I keep forgetting that she can hear everything I say?)

"It's just, you're never here anymore, we only see each other for minutes each day and then you won't let me come with you when you do go out. I feel like… like im holding on to something that won't last. I love you Vastra and I do everything I can to show it but every time I try you push me away. You don't even trust me enough to go out and help you, you just think I'm the weak link" I said trying to hold back the tears but it was inevitable that this conversation was going to make me cry.

Vastra wasn't great at reading human emotions but she had improved over the past months due to many books on human emotions and she knew that tears weren't good.

"Jenny, I'm out every day because I have to rid this place of treacherous people who think they can get away with the way they live, and it isn't a quick job. Solving a case can take days if not weeks to crack and even then there will always be another case round the corner. Jenny before I met you I despised every mammal that lived and breathed on this earth. When I met you, you changed my view on the society of ap- humans (remembering that the word ape offended me) and made me realise that there still is hope for them and hope for me".

Vastra took her hand away from my cheek and started pacing round the room. "I hated the human race for killing my sisters and thought revenge was the only way to avenge their deaths. You changed my way of thinking and my anger for them turned into forgiveness and discovered that I should give humans a second chance, you accepting me for who I am and gave me a chance when you could have easily run".

Vastra then came up to me after finishing speaking and said "and as for me pushing you away, I don't intend to. Im not familiar with relationships, especially with a female and a human, I haven't experienced these feelings I get when I'm around you and you are certainly not the weak link. You hold me together Jenny and keep me strong when I think I am weak".

Vastra looked at me and gave me a small smile whilst rubbing away my tears. I didn't know what to say now. Nothing could compare to that speech she just gave. I mean she is probably breaking stacks of Silurian rules to be with me and yet she doesn't care. I wrapped my arms round Vastra still crying my eyes out and spluttered out the word "sorry" about five times in row still clinging onto Vastra's waist.

"What forever for?" I heard Vastra say.

"Everything" I said with tears still coming down my face. Whatever I said I couldn't stop crying and Vastra was becoming confused by this from the look on her face, but she didn't say anything just carried on holding me stroking my hair with one hand whilst saying "oh Jenny you have nothing to be sorry for" and kissed the top my hair and rested her head on mine.

"Now what do you say we get some sword practice in before morning. If you are coming on these cases with me you need to be fully prepared for all scenarios"

I hugged her tight and laughed wiping away the last of my tears and nodded as she got her sword and I got mine.

I guess she could trust me after all…..


	11. Chapter 11 - What lurked underneath

**Chapter 11 – What lurked underneath**

I shut the door behind Vastra as we made our way into the kitchen after finishing a relatively easy case. Vastra is teaching me how to determine the different causes of death and what to look out for when you enter a crime scene. You need to come to a conclusion that the death was suspicious or of natural causes. If the death was suspicious then you need to deceiver how the person was killed. What weapon could have made that imprint? How did the murderer enter the building? How did he escape? But more importantly where was he now? And were they planning on killing more innocents?

"You did well today" Vastra said as she started to lay the table ready for their meal.

"Thanks ma'am, though I wouldn't have been able to work out that the answer was poison gas through the air vents if it wasn't for your you, anyway 'ow did you know?" I asked whilst cooking some meat for Vastra (she didn't usually ask for her meat to be cooked, however recently she has become quite accustomed to human food though she still did like her meat on the rare side).

"Well the body was in a room with only one door and window, after scanning for finger prints i t was obvious that no one entered the room about from the victim which only left a few possibilities she stated."

"Besides the air reeked of poison" she smirked.

Everything was solved so easily when Vastra was there. If she weren't then the case would have double if not the triple the time to solve, I mean not many people have the ability to smell from huge distances and a poison tongue to force information out of people.

"That gives us another month's amount of money" I said removing the envelope from my pocket and counting the money, there was plenty of shillings there to buy the essentials.

"Yes" Vastra said also glancing at the amount of money in the envelope. It seems Inspector Westwood did put in a good word after all she said.

Inspector Westwood was involved in Scotland Yard and would always send word if not come personally to tell us of a new case or information that was of great importance. He said that we were only getting paid the bare minimum wage and we certainly deserved more. It explain why we have at least 15 if not 20% extra than last month.

I put the money back in the envelope for safe keeping and put the food on the table so we could finally eat what was our first decent meal in ages.

"We could do that extra money" I said between mouthfuls of meat (mine cooked more thoroughly of course) after last night's events in the kitchen our plates seem to have gotten very low" I said laughing to myself.

"If the dishes refuse to clean then I refuse to keep a grip on them she said" going through the meat likes there's no tomorrow.

"I know" I said looking up at Vastra " I heard" smirking at her.

She looked up and returned the smile back to me.

There was a strange silence in the kitchen as both continued to scoff up the food from our plates.

I was nearly finished when I heard a thumping sound come from somewhere. I looked up putting down the cutlery I had in my hand.

"What was that?" I said looking round the room and then back at Vastra.

Vastra paused for a minute and carried on eating "probably people outside Jenny" she said "many come home drunk this hour".

I paused. She was right many did go to the tavern a few minutes from here and consume way to much that they could handle. However it didn't sound like it was coming from outside.

"hmm maybe" I said unsure what to think. I cleared the plates away and headed towards my room. I approached the staircase when I heard another long bang. I listened for a moment remembering something Vastra once told me. "When you listen, don't just listen to the sounds and voices around you; listen deeper. Hear the sounds of horses hooves from streets away, the sound clashing pints of beer being pushed together. You must allow your mind to take control of you, hear things you never thought you could." I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of my breathing, blocking out all other sound from my mind. The trick was use your breathing as a sort of timer. Listen to your breath for around 20-30 seconds and then your ears open up and hear things from further distances and locations. It explains why Vastra can hear so well. Around 30 seconds had went by and the noise was becoming more clear, louder and visible to my ears. I opened my eyes and went towards the mysterious noise that I heard. It was clear now that it was coming from the cellar.

I brushed my hands over the numerous locking mechanisms that were attached to the door. Some I'm sure I could unlock (being a match girl came with many perks) others however I had never seen anything quite like them, like I said when I first came into the house… defiantly technology from another era.

I pressed my ear against the cellar door and listened for a moment. The noise had stopped however im certain that the noise was being made down there.

I started to tug on the door on the off change that something would happen and all of sudden an arm swooped round my waist and launched me back away from the cellar door. I turned around only to see Vastra was glaring at me still keeping a tight grip on me.

"What on earth do you think you are doing!" she snarled at me, she was without a doubt angry at me for being near the cellar but why?

"The sound, Vastra it was coming from the c-"

"What was the one rule I told you that you must keep under all circumtances"

"Stay away from the cel-"

"Yet you go there anyway!" she continued to yell.

"Do you suffer from amnesia?" she said

"What no I –"

"Were you not there when I told you to stay away from the cellar?"

"Yes I was but –"

"Then why go near it you stupid ape!"

I stood there, unable to speak for a moment.

"You stupid ape" I said mimicking her exact words. "After everything we've been through you still think im just another stupid mammal that should cease to exist" I said with a tear trickling down from my eye.

"Jenny I didn't mean that" she said raising her hand to place on my shoulder. I moved away from her pushing her hand back away from me.

"You said you loved me, a-and that we were to trust each other no matter what, then why won't you tell me what's in the cellar. To you I'm still just another mammal that is of unimportance to you" I cried still not letting Vastra near me.

Vastra stood there. She was surprised that Jenny was the dominant one of the conversation. She remembered the time when she first expressed her true feelings for Jenny and Jenny expressed hers for me; it was the one time she felt genuine feelings for a mammal and that she had butterflies in her stomach every time she was with Jenny and was displaying her affections for her.

"Jenny" she paused unsure how to approach Jenny when she was in this bad of a temper. "I don't tell what is down there because there is nothing worth telling she said, besides the less you know the less of a target you'd become to different species out there" she wanted to go up to Jenny and just wrap her arms around her and say it's all going to be okay. She can't stand seeing me this upset and vulnerable.

"if there was nothing worth telling then why would I be a threat?" I didn't know what else to say. Everything Vastra said just contradicted everything else. I pushed past Vastra and went upstairs in my room slamming the door so the whole street could here.

Vastra sighed and walked up to the cellar resting her head on the door. "This is more trouble than it's worth" she muttered to herself. Jenny was the one good thing that she has in her life right now and since she came to live here. She wouldn't risk anything to jeopardise their relationship or do anything that she'd know would upset Jenny. Maybe it was time to tell Jenny what she was doing down in the Cellar. Maybe it wouldn't be that big of a deal? She wasn't doing anything bad.

The most important thing is to keep Jenny with her. That's all she needed. She sighed and began to unlock the locks from the cellar door.


	12. Chapter 12 - Power of Words

**Chapter 12 – Power of words**

**Thanks everyone for reviewing/following it means a lot. **

Vastra unlocked the last lock from the cellar door and rest her head on it. She knew she had to tell Jenny what was down there otherwise she'd find out on her own and Vastra was much rather she was there with Jenny.

I came down the staircase after hearing Vastra tampering with the locks on the cellar. I guess I was going to find out what was down there after all.

Vastra walked over to me, this time I let her come closer and touch me.

"Jenny, I-i didn't mean to push you away by not telling you what was in the cellar, I feared if you discovered what was done there you'd leave me from pure fear" she said looking into my eyes.

"Why what's done there?" I asked peering into the darkness that the open cellar door conveyed.

"Knowledge" Vastra said, "Knowledge that no being should know, that no being should ever have control of, knowledge that I don't want you to have" Vastra said gripping my palm and squeezing it tightly.

"I don't understand" I said "how can one room have so much knowledge? And why is it in your cellar?"

Vastra hesitated, "all will become clear" she said guiding me down the staircase and revealing a shadowed room.

I walked into the room with Vastra who was still gripping my hand tightly and pulling me close to her with her other hand.

"They're – they're books" I said looking around the room. The room seemed to go on and on, never-ending. 1000's of bookshelves lay in the room in line with one another, cobwebs embedded in the cracks of the shelves that had aged significantly in their time here, however long that was.

I walked up to the one of the bookshelves nearest the cellar door leaving Vastra's tight grip. I smoothed my hands over the books removing the layers of dust and cobwebs so I could read the words on the spines of the books.

"Rose Tyler, Astrid Peth, Roary Williams…. They're all names" I said running my hands over the rest of the books revealing other names that had no relevance to me.

"But 'ho are they?, what do they mean? I said standing on my tip toes to try and peek at the other books on the upper shelf.

"These names are the names of every single person in the universe" Vastra said standing still by the cellar door, tightening and loosening her grip on her Katana almost as if she was inpatient.

"What's in them" I said picking up a book with the name of "Donna Nobel" and flicking through it as my curiosity took over me.

"Every book belongs to a person, in the book is their life written out into words, it reveals everything they do in their life, everywhere they went and when and how they die" she said slowing up at the end of the sentence as if it would soften the blow.

"'ow they die" I said putting the book back instantly to where I'd found it and spinning round to look at Vastra.

"'ow can someone know when you are going to die if it aint happened yet" I said trying to make sense of situation.

"There are intelligent life forms out their Jenny, life forms that can see and determine the future even if it hasn't yet happened"

"I – i see" I said. I didn't quite understand the situation but I didn't want Vastra to think less of me so I just went with it.

I progressed deeper into the room which yet had no end to it.

"This room it's like what you said the doctor's time ship thing was like" I said looking at Vastra who slowly walked behind me.

"The tardis and yes it is, it's the same timelord science as the the doctor's tardis, it would need to be in order to fit the world's existence into one room."

"I suppose so" I said not really taking in Vastra's words, just scanning the shelves in the room. I did this for around 5 minutes or so until I spotted a name I was familiar with.

"Charlie Flint" I said picking up the book straight away.

"Jenny I wouldn't open it, reading it is like skipping to the end of a crime book, it's just not meant to be done"

I rummaged through the pages quickly but not reading it, Vastra had a point, do I really want to know what happened to my brother? I put the book back noticing the book next to it was considerably bigger than my brother's.

"Why are some books bigger than others?" I asked Vastra who was much closer to me than before.

"A bigger book often symbolises a life with more events in it or a longer life. A shorter could mean a uneventful life or a short time in this world."

"You mean Charlie could be –"

"Just because his book is shorter doesn't mean he has left this world Jenny" she said trying to console and comfort me.

"Thanks ma'am" I said leaning into her resting my head on her chest.

We carried on walking much to Vastra's dislike until we came across Vastra's book and next to her mine.

"Are the books arranged in any particular order ma'am?" I said wondering why I wasn't next to Charlie's.

"I'm…not sure" she said looking a bit sheepish but I wasn't in the mood to start a debate with her.

"You know all these books don't explain the loud noise that we heard" I said looking up at Vastra.

"When a new event in someone's life or a new person has entered the world the books have to change or rewrite themselves to fit in with the new timeline" she said taking a breath "as you know some books are bigger than others explaining why sometimes the noises seemed louder than others" she said carried on speaking "but the noises from last night were undoubtedly caused by a big book." Leading me to the corner of the room where a book lay on an lectern with eagle shaped wings supporting the book.

"That would be the book" I said going up to it and touching the cover of the book and then returning my glance at Vastra.

"What's this book for?"

"That book would be the book of the universe it's self… how it was created and how it shall end, of course time and futures can be rewritten therefore the world's end constantly changes."

"'ave you… 'ave you read it?"

"No, I haven't, as tempting as it is to know the world's secrets I don't think its in my nature to know how the world may end."

"Right…" I said adjusting to the whole situation and looking round the room and back at Vastra. "Can we leave now?" I said leaning into Vastra and closing my eyes.

"Yes my dear" she said taking my waist with her arm and guiding me out with her kissing the top of my head.

"Vastra" I said quietly still with my eyes closed.

"Yes Jenny" she said looking down at me as we reached the top of the stairs back into the hallway.

"'ave you read mine?" I asked laughing dirtily and gazing into Vastra's eyes.

"No dear, I want that future to remain secret and to experience it as it comes" she said carrying me up the stairs into her room which I was often in now at night rather than the room that I claimed for myself when I was just her maid.

I knew our books were placed together for a reason and for that I knew that I had a good life ahead of me, a life in which Vastra and me would experience together.


	13. Chapter 13 - Something Blue

**Chapter 13 – Something Blue**

**Thanks to amamiah for this chapter and many more to come**

After a long day of training and reading what felt like a thousand books, I retired to the living room and sat next to the fire with a cup of fresh tea. Vastra thought it would be a good idea to develop my knowledge of movement and language. Even though I'm human myself, you would be surprised how much we give away by our expressions and movement. Reading as often as I do, I have noticed my literacy has improved greatly and that I can almost read fluently give or take a few words.

Vastra came into the living room and made herself comfortable in the armchair next to mine.

(the weather outside now is beyond cold so we moved the chairs closer to the fire and each other to warm Vastra up faster).

"Tea?" I asked Vastra.

"Thank you, Jenny," she said, moving closer towards the fire to heat herself up.

Whilst pouring out the tea, I noticed how the embers of the fire illuminated Vastra's face, and how her eyes seemed to catch the brightness of the fire and glisten. I looked at her and smiled. I'm so happy that Vastra and I have started a relationship together and that. I know that she loves me as much as I love her, but I can't help thinking that I'm letting her down somehow. She's a Silurian and is definitely more advanced and experienced than me in almost everything she does, and me… I'm just a girl. I can't see or smell anything from streets away or shoot a poison dart tongue at my victims; even though my hearing is without a doubt more precise and accurate than other humans, that was down to Vastra. My training and ability to wield a weapon was down to Vastra. Everything I have become was down to Vastra. What does she see in me?

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize that I had stopped pouring the tea or that my body had just froze. My thoughts took me to another world for a second. Vastra looked away from the fire and up at me wondering how long it takes to pour a cup of tea.

"Jenny?" she asked, noticing my lack of movement and speech. She nudged me ever so slightly, I came back into reality and realized that my attention must have strayed for a moment. I looked down at the tea and handed it to Vastra, still caught up in my thoughts.

"Is everything alright, dear?" she asked taking the tea from me and sipping it.

"Yes," I said slowly, blinking repeatedly to convince myself I was awake. "I just wandered off for a moment, I guess..."

"You seem to be doing that a lot recently. Are you sure everything is okay, Jenny?"

I rubbed my head; I felt as though I'd been kicked by a horse "I'm fine it's just a slight headache" I said, drinking the tea hoping it would numb the pain.

"Jenny, I know something's wrong. Your heart is beating abnormally fast, and you are avoiding eye contact. Tell me what's bothering you."

One of the many positive things about being with Vastra would be that she always knows when you're upset or hurt, and she'd stay by your side until you felt better. One of the many negative things about being with Vastra would be that she always knows when you're upset or hurt, and she'd never stop pestering you until you confided in her.

"I... I just wonder what you see in me," I said, looking up into her eyes. "I mean, you're a lizard woman who protects people from darkness and evil, and you protect me from whatever comes at us, regardless of your own safety. You're kind, compassionate, caring, and everything... everything that I could 'ope for. But I'm nothing like you. I'm nowhere near as talented, and I'm... I feel like I'm just 'olding you back."

Vastra put down the tea and sat up straight in the armchair. "Come here, " she said, ushering me onto her chair and into her lap. I rested my head on her shoulder and listened to every word she said, as if her words were the only thing I could hear, and every other sound had just stopped to let Vastra speak.

"Jenny…. In the time that we have been together, I have developed feelings for you that I never thought a Silur- I could feel. Every time you enter the room, I get this feeling in my stomach that makes me forget everything and makes me want to just be with you and hold you."

As Vastra spoke, she was stroked my shoulder with one hand and played with a strand of my hair in the other. I felt safe when I was with her

Nothing could faze me or take me out of this moment.

"When I came to Victorian London, after losing everything I'd lived for, the Doctor told me to protect the humans of this planet. He told me to forgive them for all their wrongs. He said every human was different, and that just because one erred, that didn't mean every single one was like him. That some were caring and loving. I didn't believe a word of it. All my feelings towards humans were of hatred and revenge and a distinct desire for genocide. But then I met you. The desires I had disappeared, and for the first time since coming here, I thought that maybe... maybe there were humans that were different. Maybe I could learn to like them."

As I was leaning into Vastra, I could feel her heart beating, her warm breath on my skin. I was unsure of what to say. I just wanted to stay like this forever and watch time go by as we spent our lives together.

"Jenny, when I first discovered I had feelings for you, I tried to bury them deep inside of me because I thought, _how could a woman with such passion and a heart as pure as yours love a Silurian like me_?

Vastra tilted my head so I looked into her eyes. "Jenny, you don't hold me back in any way. In fact, you do quite the opposite. You drive me to do more, to help people that are lost, and without you, I fear I could lose myself in my old desires for death and destruction."

I rested the palm of my hand against her cheek, leaned in, and kissed her. Vastra placed her hand on my cheek, and we just stayed there, in each other's company, for what could have been a lifetime. I wished we could stay like this forever, my lips on hers, her breath on my skin. It gives me goose bumps every time. I feel so lucky to have her in my life, to feel secure and protected when she's near... to feel loved.

I broke away from the kiss to get her attention and said, "Vastra, I want you to promise me something."

"Anything," she said, stroking the palm of my hand and staring at me with those blue-grey eyes.

"If – if anything should 'appen to me, I want you to stay strong and carry on protecting others and keeping the town safe ,you understand?"

"Jen-"

"Promise me!" I pleaded. I felt a tear roll down my cheek; the thought of ever losing Vastra was terrifying, but if I were to leave this world, I would want to leave it knowing that Vastra would be okay and would stay strong and safe.

"I promise, she said, wiping the tear off my eye. I wrapped my arms around her and just laid there for a minute, Vastra holding me and her arms stayed wrapping around my waist, her chin resting in my hair.

"I promise," she whispered again, consoling me, reassuring me that everything would work out and it would all be okay.

I smiled softly "good" I whispered back.

Then, out of nowhere, I felt a gust of wind ruffle my hair and heard an unearthly noise in the dark. A blue police box materialized in the corner of the room, and Vastra looked up and smiled.

"That aint the police, that's the box from your story!" I shouted, trying to be heard over the noise. "Does that mean the Doctor's here?"

Vastra stayed still, smiling and gripping my hand tightly. "Yes. And Jenny? An adventure awaits us, full of danger and running, enemies destroyed and friends made. I hope you've been practicing your swordplay."


	14. Chapter 14 - Bigger on the inside

**Chapter 14 – Bigger on the Inside**

The TARDIS finally materialised, and there was a beat of silence before a man wearing a brown tweed jacket and bow tie appeared from behind the TARDIS's doors.

"Vastra, there's my favourite lizard woman in all of time!" he exclaimed. After pushing the TARDIS doors open, he noticed me cuddled up with Vastra, still gripping her hand tight. I wasn't quite sure how to react to the peculiar blue box and tweed-coated gentleman appearing in the living room.

"Ah, you must be Jenny," he said, smiling at Vastra and giving her a discreet wink. "Aren't you a lucky lizard," he whispered to her. He then jumped up and started running around the room, scanning everything with what I guessed was his sonic screwdriver. Vastra had mentioned it once or twice.

Vastra rested her hand on my shoulder. "What brings you here at this hour, Doctor?" she asked, trying to sound as if his presence was a disturbance, but I could tell she was eager for an adventure.

"Well, I was in the area, and I thought I might visit my favourite Silurian," he said, waving the sonic at the walls.

Vastra shot him a wry smile. The Doctor stopped scanning the walls, realizing that Vastra didn't believe a word of what he'd just said.

"Oh, alright," he sighed, tucking the sonic into his jacket and turning to face Vastra. I may or may not have picked up an odd signal coming from this area. The sonic can't identify the source, either, so the signal must be very clever and disguised itself, or someone is blocking my signal. Or someone's blow-drying their hair... but I doubt it." He flapped his hand to indicate how preposterous this was.

Vastra rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt anything is here, Doctor. My scanners would have picked it up for sure. Nothing can interfere with Silurian technology."

"I was afraid you'd say that," the Doctor said, looking around the room again. His face became very serious when he talked about danger, but it was almost too serious for him. He cracked a grin and laughed, running back to the TARDIS, shouting into the box, "No, it's not here, Clara. We'll have to try something else!"

Vastra's eyes lit up at the thrill of the Doctor's presence, and the thought of another adventure brought a rare smile to her face. I'd never seen her this happy before.

Vastra linked her arm with mine. "Ready to see the TARDIS?" she asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"It's.., It's beautiful," I said. The walls were coloured rustic silver, dotted with burnt orange lights. "It's bigger on the inside. I mean, it's actually bigger on the inside!" I knew it would be like this, but I never realized just how big it would be. The Doctor looked up from the control panel in the middle of the room and beamed like a child.

"Yes, dear," Vastra smirked, kissing my hair as we walked to the control panel.

"I have," the Doctor said proudly, "A theory!" He looked to Vastra and I for approval.

"The TARDIS brought me here for a reason. Always does." He patted the controls affectionately. "I know for a fact that London is the signal's source. However," he said, waving the sonic about for emphasis, "I think we're in the wrong time period. Again," he sighed. "Before we arrived here, we were sent to the 18th century. Then we got sent a hundred years into the future. The signal must be in the 20th because the TARDIS can just pick it up, and it's the only other explanation. However, it isn't close enough to pinpoint the source.

"So what now?" asked a voice I didn't recognize. From another door into the TARDIS came a young girl wearing a curious strapless dress and clunky black boots.

The Doctor spun around, seeing the girl emerge from the doorway. "I said wear something suitable, not wear hardly anything at all!" he scolded. "How are you supposed to run in that... thing?"

"Easy, I have my combat boots," she said, smirking. She waved her feet in the air for emphasis.

"Oh, Vastra, Jenny; meet Clara. Clara, meet Vastra and Jenny! I'm sure you'll get along like a fish in a pond."

Vastra gave Clara an imperial nod in place of a greeting, and then left to speak with the Doctor. She squeezed my shoulder as she left. I went over to Clara, deciding that I had better get to know her, as she is the only human I've heard of who's not completely baffled by the Doctor and the TARDIS's alien mechanics.

After ten minutes of talking and the conversation ending with "You're her girlfriend!"[I decided to talk with the Doctor to get up to speed with the "mission," as Clara called it.

"What do we do now?" I asked, joining Vastra and the Doctor. Clara followed close behind, boots clanking on the floor.

"The TARDIS has managed to locate the signal," the Doctor informed us, pressing buttons and flicking switches and levers as he spoke. "If we follow it, then we should get an idea of what we're dealing with."

"Which era are we going to?" I inquired, curious to know where my first time travel would be to.

"Nineteen fifty-four," he said, indicating a clunky box hanging from the ceiling with the number '1954' printed on it. "Sixty-one years in the future."

"What kind of alien do you think we'll find there?" Clara asked eagerly. I got the impression from her that she loved aliens of all kinds, including cybermen and ghosts. I am fully aware of ghosts, but have never heard of cybermen before. I'm not sure I'd like to be acquainted with them anytime soon.]

"Not sure," the Doctor replied. "Could be Judoon, but they can't block Time Lord technology. Could be anything, really..."

"That's reassuring," I muttered under my breath. I really wanted to go on an adventure with the Doctor, and prove to Vastra that my sword practice could be put to good use. I also really wanted to know what we were going up against instead of going in all guns blazing.

"Doctor, if you'd be so kind as to give Jenny and I a few minutes, we need to get some essential equipment packed before we journey to the future. Better safe than sorry," she said, linking arms with me as we headed back to familiar territory.

I heard the Doctor and Clara talking as we left the TARDIS. I couldn't make out their entire conversation, but I did, however, hear Clara exclaim, "A lizard woman and a maid!"

"I know they have one great future ahead of them."

I smiled to myself and followed Vastra as we went to pack and change into suitable clothing for what was going to be a great adventure.


	15. Chapter 15 - Hold on

**Chapter 15 – Hold on**

**Updates on this are going to be a little slower now as I'm going to sixth form soon so I'll be a lot more busier than usual.** **Reviews are welcomed.**

I came back into the living room after changing into my dark leather cat suit, with a hand-stitched leather sheat for my katana.

Vastra (who was busy packing all the essential equipment) turned around to notice me re-enter the living room with my particular choice of clothing.

"I never knew you had that sort of clothing in your possession," Vastra said, regarding me appreciatively as I made my way towards her, peeking into the bag she was packing for our adventure

"You never asked," I said mischievously, stroking the side of her shoulder, not taking my eyes off her for a moment.

"Jenny, are you trying to... seduce me, as the humans say?" Vastra asked inquisitively, trying to keep her face impassive, but I knew she liked the look of me in the tight leather cat suit.

"Is it working?"

"Without a doubt," she whispered as she leaned into me for a kiss. I say a kiss; but does a kiss last several minutes without barely any time to gasp for air?

Anyway, after several very pleasurable minutes with Vastra, we were interrupted by the Doctor shouting, "How long does it take to pack a few weapons and clothes?" from inside the TARDIS.

He swung his head from outside the TARDIS only to see Vastra and I engaged in something other than packing. "There's plenty of time for that!" he joked and pushed us both inside the TARDIS slamming the doors shut behind us.

"Right then, you ready to go the Doctor asked, hand resting on a lever. He glanced at me meaningfully. "Jenny, you might want to hold onto something." The Doctor beamed suddenly, childishly, and pulled the lever.

Before I had the chance to ask why the tardis flung me half way across the room to land near the Doctor in the console area. "You could 'ave have gave me time to 'old onto something!" I shouted, trying to be heard over the noise of the TARDIS.

But where's the fun in that!" he shouted back gleefully, still pulling the lever as I tumbled down the nearby stairs, hands fumbling for anything to hold.

I managed to pull my body onto the steel bars that offered some kind of support and glanced round to see Clara opposite, casually holding onto the bars as was Vastra. Both of them seemed quite calm, considering we were in a little wooden box flying through time and space and throwing us around in the process.

The TARDIS came to a sudden halt, which made me fly headfirst into the control panel. I looked up to see everyone laughing, well, Vastra was trying to hardest to contain her laughter, but much to her disappointment she had to put her hand over her face to hide her giggles coming from her mouth.

She came over and said, "Jenny dear, don't worry. Just hold onto something next time," In between the sounds of her soft laughter.

"I would 'ave if I was given more time, " I muttered under my breath, standing up straight and brushing off the dust from my cat suit (the TARDIS really did need a good cleaning.)

The Doctor and Clara managed to restrain themselves from anymore jokes and went on to open the TARDIS doors, revealing our intended destination.

I looked out of the doors to see 1954 London. It looked rather different from our time period, but it was definitely the same old London. The narrow alleyways, smoke from factories polluting the air, and beggars in different areas of the street.

"Least the tardis did something right, " I said to myself. Even though I felt as though I was thrown into the adventure without my permission, I must say it was quite an experience travelling in time with Vastra, Clara, and the Doctor. It was something that I'd never forget and hopefully get to do more of.

One by one we all made our way out of the TARDIS with the doctor locking it on his way out.

"Won't someone see the tardis?"

"Nah, people round here just pass by it without a blink of an eye."

We made our way through the streets of Victorian London, the Doctor and Vastra scanning every chance they had. I don't think they found anything useful, due to the fact that they both looked disappointed by the time the scanner had finished.

We walked past many shops that I hadn't seen before. Shops that sold the strangest of things. There was this one thing that was almost like a box, but had moving pictures inside and people that spoke out of it. Clara said they were called televisions, and they became very popular in her era, and that every household had at least two if not more.

After an hour or so of walking around aimlessly, the Doctor thought it would be a good idea to split up. The Doctor handed Clara a scanner that he brought out from his pocket. The scanner was big and bulky so I supposed his pockets had the same Time Lord technology as the TARDIS. The Doctor opted to go with Vastra. Hesitantly she followed him as we parted ways. I know she didn't like leaving me, but the Doctor assured her that if anything happened, the scanners would pick it up instantly, so there would be no problem.

Vastra and the Doctor decided to go round the back of London and scan the outskirts of the town, where danger was as its best. Both of them were busy fiddling with their scanners and progressing efficiently without a word said. The Doctor decided to break the ice with, "So, you are growing fond of Jenny?" continuing to scan away with the press down of his fingers.

Vastra looked up from her scanner for a second, averting her eyes at the Doctor. "Yes….she is different from the other apes that walk this world. She... she makes me feel like a better person when I'm around her; as if all my hatred and anger just abandon me."

The Doctor smiled at her response. "She is a truly amazing woman," he said at last, "You have a promising future ahead of you."

Vastra listened to the Doctor and took in his words. She wanted a future with Jenny, and to hear it from the Doctor, a man who travelled in time and space and was the wisest of all among us; it gave her hope that she was doing the right thing by letting her feelings of Jenny flood out. Even though it was against many Silurian laws and promises that she swore to uphold, she couldn't deny the feelings of love and happiness that she felt when she was around Jenny. It was like nothing she has witnessed before, and she planned on keeping it for as long as she lived.

Clara and I elected to take the route which required us to walk past the shops and various amenities they had to offer. Every now and again, we would abort our scanning to look at the objects in the shop windows. A small sleek black dress caught my eye as we passed another shop that sold posh little frocks and dresses. Clara, however, took quite a fancy to a black leather jacket with silver little sequins encrusted on the collar. She told me that leather jackets were quite the fashion in her time, as much as they were now. It was surprising how something made in this era could remain so popular in a later one such as Clara's.

We just finished gossiping on the latest fashion when Clara's scanner picked up an odd reading. The scanner started to bleep loudly, causing some passing people to look strangely at us. Clara tried to disguise the scanner in her shoulder bag that she picked up from the tardis.

It directed us to a closed shop that appeared to sell televisions.

"I wonder why it lead us 'ere?" I said, double checking the scanner Clara held just to make sure she'd read it right. She had.

"No idea" she said peering into the glass window, "It doesn't look like anyone's in." She stood on her tip toes to get a better look. She then tried to open the door, which obviously was locked. "Damn," Clara mumbled. "We're gonna have to break the glass to get in, but that's gonna draw to much attention." She walked round the back of the shop, trying to find other entrances that we could take.

Whilst she did this, I took the pin out of my hair that caused it to drop down over my shoulders, "Clara", I whispered to her. "Stand behind me so no one can see, " I said, bending down to observe the lock. Then I started to jab my pin in and rotate it and reposition it so I could try to pick the lock.

Within a matter of seconds, the lock clicked open, and putting the pin back in my pocket, I saw Clara turn her head around for a brief second then back the other way, checking to see if anyone was watching. "How'd you do that," she said, sounding surprised.

"One of the advantages of living on the streets, "I said, forcing the door open for Clara and I to walk through.

We stood in the middle of the room, Clara checking if anyone was in here with us. It appeared to be empty. I looked down at the scanner that Clara had. "The signals definitely coming from 'ere," I said, looking round. "But there's nothing here, "Clara whispered as she rustled through bits of paper in the drawers.

I turned to face Clara, to see if she'd found anything, when a voice said menacingly, "My, what pretty little girls..."


	16. Chapter 16 - Dissolution

**Chapter 16 – Dissolution**

Clara and I spun round instantly to see where the voice had come from.

"There's nothing here!"

"Such pretty little girls..."

I turned round to the televisions and noticed that one displayed a woman looking directly at me.

"Clara!" I shouted, "The screens, there's someone on them!"

Clara jolted round to where I was pointing. "It's just a TV program, Jenny," she said, looking down at the scanner ever so quickly, as she didn't want to be caught off guard by the thing that might have been with us]

"But she's looking right at me," I said, confused.

"Jenny, it's a TV!" she shouted. She'd probably forgotten the time I came from had no screens with moving pictures.

"Hello? Yes, I'm looking at you, pretty girl with the dress."

Clara stood still for a moment. She looked at the dress in which she was wearing and then back to the scanner. Hesitantly, she then walked over to the screen showing the woman talking.

"You can see me?" Clara said, prodding at the screen and checking over the TV to see if she could find anything out of the ordinary. "But…how?" Clara stood next to me to make space between her and the TV.

"Oh, I can see you quite clearly, " the woman said. "I can see you both quite clearly. Rather attractive girls, though I would rather have you my dear, with the dress."

I looked at Clara and asked, "It's just an image right? You said they aren't real."

"They aren't; I mean, it's just….just an image; how could it possibly be real?"

"Who are you?" I said, deciding to take some authority and leadership over this situation. "And where are you from?"

"I am the Wire," the voice said, "I conceal myself in television signals such as this one. I quite liked the face of this woman, so I kept it."

I looked at Clara before turning round to address the woman once more.

"How can you keep a face?"

"You're an image; you can't mix with this world when you aren't in it yourself."

"You are correct. I am merely an image projected onto a screen; however, I am very real and very alive."

Clara tapped my shoulder and whispered into my ear, "I think we should find the Doctor; he'd know what to do from here."

I nodded, still not taking my eyes off the screen. I had a bad feeling that if I looked away, it would make its next move. I planned on keeping this situation under control and not showing that, in fact, I was terrified of my first alien encounter. If she even was an alien. But if you showed fear or discomfort, then she'd feed off your fear and turn the tables in an instant. (Vastra once told me that creatures can sense your fear and use it to their advantage; so I didn't plan on giving this one mine).

"The Doctor, such a clever man, handsome man, how tasty he was."

"You know the Doctor," Clara said stunned.

"Yes, he did a rather good job of trapping me in a tape, however he was unsuccessful in recording over me fully. A little of me remained, and my plasmic slowly fed off people through the television signals until I became strong enough to show my pretty face again. And my pretty ones, I have to tell you I am so very HUNGRY!"

Out of nowhere, a glowing purple beam shot out in front of us. I jumped in front of Clara reflexively, shielding her from the strange purple light. My mouth was glued shut and tasted like electricity. I couldn't see anything but the bright light in front of me. Why was I here? Who was I? All that I knew was the light.

The Doctor and Vastra had circled the outskirts of London many times now, and the scanners were picking up nothing out of the ordinary or anything that should be investigated.

"Clara's different to other companions you've had, Doctor; I can't quite place my finger on it, but there's something about her that's…odd"

The Doctor looked up from the scanner and paused for a moment.]. "Clara? Clara's just Clara."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Doctor. Not one of your companions has been ordinary. Amy Pond having a Time Lord child, Donna Noble's transformation into a half-Time Lord, Rose Tyler absorbing the heart of the TARDIS... shall I continue?"

"Lighten up, will you, Vastra? None of my companions have been ordinary. They've all been fun and carefree... which is something you-" he punched her in the shoulder affectionately to emphasize the word "-might like to try sometime."

At that point, both the Doctor's and the Vastra's scanner picked up something.

I should explain; the Doctor's scanner was connected to Clara; it measured her heart rate and all her body functions, so if anything was to happen to Clara, the scanner would inform the Doctor. Vastra's was the same, but connected to me.

The Doctor and Vastra immediately started pushing buttons on their scanners. "It's Jenny!" Vastra said, the same time as the Doctor said, "It's Clara!"

They both ran, following the scanner's directions until it led them to the same shop that both Clara and Jenny were in.

The Doctor slammed open the door. It was very late, so the Doctor and Vastra didn't have to worry about drawing attention to themselves (not that it would stop them anyway).

"Jenny" Vastra shrieked in despair.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned everywhere, fixing the sonic on Clara and I. "Vastra, you need to turn off the power, find the power and turn it off NOW!"

The Doctor was trying in vain to keep the Wire from draining Clara and I..

"How did you escape? I destroyed you years ago!" he shouted. "Vastra, I said TURN OFF THE POWER!"

Vastra scrambled about in the back room until she found the lever which seemed to control the whole circuit. With a big pull to the lever, the buttons and TV screens in front of her all went black.

The Doctor pressed a button on the sonic, absorbing the remainder of the Wire's energy. He then ran over to Clara waving and scanning the sonic everywhere checking for any damage.

Vastra ran back into the room and collapsed next to Jenny. The girl was out cold on the floor, but still breathing.

"Jenny, s-she jumped in front of me" Clara managed to say between gasps for air.

The Doctor ran over to Jenny's body and used the sonic to carry out a full body scan. The Doctor looked at the sonic and back at Jenny.

"W-what's wrong ," Vastra howled.

The Doctor looked at Vastra. Silurians weren't capable of crying, or according to Vastra, they weren't, but if they could he suspected she would be now.

"Jenny's fine. She will recover. But…."

"Tell me!" she screeched, resting Jenny's head on her knees and stroking her black hair, which she'd grown quite attached to. Silurians didn't have hair, and Jenny's hair was unlike many others back in their era. Jenny's, however, was soft and lustrous and glided through her fingers so gracefully; and how it lay rested around Jenny's shoulders made her love Jenny even more.

The Doctor knelt beside Jenny and began to explain the circumstances to Vastra. "The Wire feeds off the mental signals of human brains, sucking not only their energy but their life. We got here just in time to stop the process fully. However…. Because Jenny got the full force of the wire, it has interfered with her memory, and might have erased some of her life and memories from her consciousness."

"You mean... she might forget me?" Vastra's fingers tightened in Jenny's silken hair.

The Doctor looked down at the floor. "It's possible," he said... "However, that might not be the case. Jenny is a strong girl, if anyone can get through it, it would be her."

_She looked down at Jenny's lifeless body in front of her. She couldn't bear it if anything happened to her. Why did I let her come with me? She would have been safe back at home. _

Clara, who had regained most of her strength and breath back soundlessly, came over to where the Doctor and Vastra lay huddled around Jenny's body.

"That would have happened to me if Jenny wouldn't hadn't jumped in my way ," Clara said softly.

"Jenny's fearless. That's why Vastra fell for her." The Doctor looked up from Jenny to smile at the lizard woman fondly.

Vastra sighed softly and brought her forehead to Jenny's. She closed her eyes and said, "Yes... but now I fear I may have lost her for good."

_Vastra knew it was rare for humans who hadn't travelled with the Doctor to accept her for who she was. They'd take one look at her reptilian features and run away, screaming about monsters and demons. Jenny was the first person who had ever stayed... who hadn't been afraid of her._

_Jenny; beautiful Jenny, Jenny who loved her green scales and her Silurian quirks (especially the way Vastra stripped and cuddled with the warmest thing in the room during winter's cruellest days), Jenny who accepted her, lizard tongue and all... Jenny who had forgotten everything? Vastra was struck with a sudden fear that Jenny would awaken and, not remembering, be scared of her._

_Please, please come back, love. Don't you want to see the universe, like we'd planned? I'll take you to Barastabon and Barcelona, to the Singing Towers of Darillium and Asgard... I know you'll love them, especially Barastabon. You always did like sweet things. _

_And they'll just be a waste of time without you._


	17. Chapter 17 - A lone warrior

**Chapter 17 – A lone warrior **

**Sorry for slow updates, I've had no time to write lately. **

It had been several weeks since the encounter with the wire. The Doctor had taken Jenny inside the TARDIS and into one of the rooms which he ensured Vastra she would be safe in. Vastra had received a few letters from the Doctor now and again, but he didn't go into detail about Jenny and if her memory had been restored.

Still, money had to be earned and the house had to be kept in pristine condition, so Vastra had to handle life without Jenny for the time being.

She found it hard….

She had never imagined something like this would happen. Firstly, she never thought that she'd find someone quite like Jenny. Someone who truly accepted her for who she was, and not what people perceived her to be. Secondly, she'd never thought that anything like this would happen to her loved one. Vastra just assumed that as she was with the Doctor, nothing unpredicted would happen; how wrong she was. Vastra felt anger and hatred inside of her that she had never felt before. How could she have left Jenny's side when she knew there was danger threatening them nearby? Somehow, she would have thought the Doctor could have prevented these events. How could a man that everyone feared, that the history of the universe knew, that with a mention of his name could turn around the wrath of an army; not save one human? More importantly her human. Her Jenny.

What's worse is that if Jenny doesn't recover or regain her memory, the guilt of such events will remain in Vastra's conscience for thousands of years to come. She will have to live these remaining years without her lover at her side. Even with the odds stacked up against Vastra, and the chances of Jenny's memory returning all in one piece being rare, Vastra still stayed optimistic. If anyone could pull through this it was Jenny.

Many more weeks went by and many more cases were solved. The Doctor visited once not long ago. He didn't come alone, however he didn't come with Jenny. The Doctor and Vastra made themselves comfortable in the living room in the two armchairs that were positioned next to the fire.

"I've sent Jenny to the hospital in new earth, the year five billion and twenty three to be precise, the sisters of plenitude are the best in the business, if there is a way Vastra, they will find it."

"It's been over a month Doctor, you've tried dozens of hospitals and professionals, I fear there is nothing that can be done."

"Don't say that Vastra!" the Doctor said reassuringly.

"If anyone can get through this it's Jenny."

"Tell me Doctor, you are a man who travels from place to place, ripping holes in the fabric of time, gaining enemies every step you take out the TARDIS. You know what is to become of Jenny, you now her future and every decision she will make until the day she dies. Will she regain her memory?"

The Doctor looked down, tapping his feet on the wooden floor boards before looking back up at Vastra.

Vastra knew the look on his face, she recognised it. All hope that Vastra had was slipping away from her.

"Time can be rewritten Vastra, you know it can!"

"Not this one, the world has seen the sort of Silurian I am and is punishing me for my mistakes."

"You have reformed Vastra, you are a changed Silurian, no one is punishing you for anything. Jenny was just… in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Yes because of me, I should never have took her with us, what good would have come from it?"

The Doctor stood up from the armchair and placed his hand on Vastra's shoulder as a sign of reassurance.

"You have travelled with me before Vastra. If anyone knows the beauty and miracles of time and space it's you, just…don't give up hope, because when you do, you've truly lost her."

The Doctor walked away Vastra and the warming comfort of the fireplace back to his TARDIS. Clara hadn't come out of the TARDIS since it landed in 13 Paternoster row.

She saw me sitting in the armchair, drinking what she thought could only be red wine and came over.

"I'm – I'm sorry" she spluttered. "If it wasn't for me being there Jenny would be here now."

Vastra put down the goblet in which held the thick red substance and looked into Clara's eyes and then scanned her all over.

"Don't be. Jenny would risk everything if it meant saving another person's life. It's the sort of hu- person she is, I just wish she was still here now."

Clara gave a weak smile after hearing Vastra's response. "Hey, this is Jenny we are talking about here, any person who has travelled with the Doctor and seen the things that we have and dealt with harsh pasts like Jenny did won't go without giving a good fight, and from what I hear Jenny's a fighter alright."

Vastra let out a faint laugh and a smile. "Yes, she wa- is, she caught on quick for a woman of her small structure and little experience, a fighter she is."

"There we go then, she'll be back in no time aye."

Clara gave one last smile to Vastra and headed back into the TARDIS, where the Doctor was staring at the screen on the monitor and pushing numerous buttons.

Clara headed over to him, glancing at the screen to see numerous hospitals in different locations and no doubt time periods.

"She'll be alright wont she, Jenny I mean?"

The Doctor looked away from the monitor and up at Clara.

"Course, in all of time and space there's almost definitely a cure of memory loss, I'm certain of it, besides I have a good friend who owes me a favour. He'll has more contacts than anyone."

"Who's that then?" Clara asked with such curiosity.

"Captain Jack, manages torchwood. Like I said he has many contacts and owes me a big favour."

"How does he owe you exactly?"

The Doctor laughed for a second and replied with "long story short, he can't die. He can cheat every form of death that strikes him."

"How on earth can he cheat death, that's almo- no, im certain, that's impossible."

"That's a story for another time, takes far too long to tell, besides I'm sure you'll meet him eventually, you can ask him. I'm sure he'd love to explain it" the Doctor smirked.

"You have so many friends, you should have like a chat room for all of them, least that way you can keep in touch"

"Huh, never thought of that, well, it would save Martha a lot of money on her phone bill. Intergalactic phone calls aren't exactly cheap, and then I could link the TARDIS to torchwood. Not a bad idea Clara."

"I try" she said kicking off her heels and placing herself on what was intended to be a sofa, but metal rods with a thin mattress over it doesn't really cut it.

"So where we off to now?"

"Well we'll check in on Jenny, and if she hasn't improved, I guess we'll have to pay a visit to Captain Jack. "

The TARDIS finally started to disappear from the living room, leaving Vastra alone with her conscience.

"Please Jenny, if you can hear me, please come back to me."


	18. Chapter 18 - Torchwood

**Chapter 18 – Torchwood**

The Doctor and Clara wandered back into the TARDIS after visiting Jenny. The doors shut firmly behind them. The Doctor turned on the screen in the console area and took off New Earth hospital from the list of possibilities to help Jenny.

"She's improving," Clara managed to say.

"Yes, her memory is coming back piece by piece," the Doctor said"

_"I've seen this before, though, the memory starting to return in patches. The big patches are sometimes too hard to remember."_

"You mean a…"

"Yes, I fear Jenny's memories with Vastra and just too much for her to take in."

"_But she has to remember. How can someone forget something like that?"_

"Think about it, Clara, imagine if you had lost your complete memory and your entire history had been erased from your mind; then two strange people _whom you hadn't met tell you that you're in love with a lizard woman from the dawn of time_. Would you believe them?"

Clara looked away, her eyes welling up as she clenched onto the TARDIS for support "_She must," Clara whispered._ "She must," she said again, looking up at the Doctor. "She remembers me, she remembers London, and she remembers the TARDIS, she even remembers you!"

_...and that's a start." The Doctor looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the right words. "Look, Clara, what I said about Jenny's mind being like a jigsaw... she's starting to reassemble everything slowly, and the more bits she remembers, the clearer the image in her head gets. But being hit with so much plasmic energy from the Wire, bits of the puzzle are bound to go missing. And the puzzle can't be complete without all the pieces."_

"She'll remember, I know it," Clara said, mopping up the tears with her hand.

The Doctor smiled. His companions always had such high hope and spirit, even in the unlikeliest of situations. Clara was no exception. This spurred him on, made him remember that there was _good left in this world, even if it was just an ounce. It reassured him that travelling in time and space was still worth it._

""_Well, I do have one last option that might shed some light on the situation," the Doctor said, punching in a new set of coordinates in the TARDIS's console._

"Is it this _Torchwood_ you were on about before?"

"Yes, I think it's time to get reacquainted with Captain Jack."

"What's he like, this _Jack_?"

The Doctor laughed, "In one word, flirtatious," he said whilst laughing

"What's he look like, then?"

_The Doctor rolled his eyes. Every single one of his female companions fell for Jack at first... though Jack didn't play for that team anymore..._

"You never said he was hot!" Clara said whilst staring at the image.

"Don't get your hopes up, Clara, " he said, smirking

"Why, is he married?"

"No," the Doctor said.

"And is he seeing another woman?"

"_Well, no, not exactly," the Doctor said._

_"Then I'm going to get changed. Can't be seen wearing this again."_

Clara headed into one of the rooms down the corridor. "Oh, Clara," he laughed to himself. _He just hoped her dreams weren't crushed too hard when she found out that Jack's priorities lay mostly with men. And aliens._

Vastra had heard of Torchwood; she had even head of Jack. _She'd even taken the liberty of reading some of Jack's history in his book in the cellar_. She knew this wasn't right. Vastra had always taught Jenny not to meddle in other people's histories, _seeing as you _never know the consequences. She had even thought about reading Jenny's, but she couldn't bring herself to open the book, just hold it and cradle it in her arms. Vastra admitted that this Jack seemed very skilled and qualified in extra-terrestrial departments and that he was _one of the Doctor's very good friends_, but she couldn't help feeling that even he wouldn't be able to do anything more for Jenny.

Vastra had received information from the Doctor that _Jenny's_ memory was indeed improving and her one adventure with the Doctor was somewhat regained, just not completely understood and pieced together yet. This gave Vastra hope that, if she could remember and accept the whole time and space picture for a second time, that she could understand her relationship with _Vastra_ once more.

_Vastra had become quite the chambermaid herself as the days and months went by... if you associate using Frisbees for plates and broomstick handles for firewood as being quite a chambermaid._

Strax took the other chores for the time being, much to Vastra's despair. She didn't like the idea of having a new maid or cleaner in the house, as that was Jenny's job, but Strax… even with the stupidity that comes, with his thick head came some advantages. For example, he could locate any signal out of the ordinary much more efficiently than she could, and his weapons were indeed more updated than hers. Even so, she kept them locked up in the cellar. She'd know that Jenny would disapprove of using them when a much more peaceful way could be done instead. How she missed Jenny.

The TARDIS landed in what the Doctor hoped was the current location of Torchwood. There have been so many different locations that it was hard to keep up with, even for the Doctor.

The familiar noise of the _TARDIS_ _made_ the members of Torchwood to huddle round together. By now the whole crew was familiar with the Doctor. Gwen, Owen, _Ianto _and Toshiko were all good friends of the Doctor and they all welcomed the familiarity of the TARDIS.

_Jack stood at the front of the group so the Doctor would see him straight away. The TARDIS's brakes stopped squeaking. _

_They waited... and then Jack smiled. "About time, Doctor..."_


	19. Chapter 19 - Porcelain Castles

**Chapter 19 – Porcelain Castles**

**Sorry for the slow updates, working weekends and sixth form weekdays...**

**A quick shout out to hailfire97 who has recently started writing for Iron Man and Transformers/Beast Wars... Give them a read :) **

The Doctor emerged from the TARDIS, closely followed by Clara. Ianto greeted the Doctor with a firm handshake. "Nice to see you again, Doctor," he said, smiling. "Ianto, long time no see," the Doctor said whilst hopping round the room. He seemed unusually happy despite _the current circumstances_. "Gwen!" the Doctor shouted, scratching her thick black hair, still managing to bounce around the room surrounded by the Torchwood gang. "Now, where is he?"

"Doctor!" _That familiar voice made the Doctor's hearts soar, and he hug attacked Jack._. When the Doctor finally unwrapped himself from Jack's grasp he stood up straight, readjusted his bow tie and said, "_You look older."_

"Yeah, I feel it," Jack replied. "How long is this aging process supposed to last? I mean, when I go old and grey, I can't continue to age,"

"_I really don't know, Jack," the Doctor laughed._ "Rose absorbed the heart of the TARDIS, and that power is a force to be reckoned with; it bought you back to life, but evidently at a great price."

"Tell me about it…I mean, it could have taken a hand, an arm, I'd even go as far to say a leg, but my looks, that's a curse like no other."

_The Doctor chuckled and said, "You're impossible, Jack."_

_Clara finally escaped the Torchwood crowd to join up with Jack and the Doctor, who stood somewhat off to the side._

_Jack looked up from adjusting his belt and gave Clara his trademark smile. "Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"_

_The unsuspecting Clara answered, "Clara Oswald." _

_"Nice to meet ya, Clara Oswald."_

_"Oh, don't start," the Doctor moaned. _

_"_Definitely_ don't start," Ianto added punctiliously, glaring at Jack._

_He protested, "I was only saying hello! Sheesh." Then he sighed and said, "Anyway, you probably didn't come just for the fun of it. You never do."_

_"No," the Doctor replied seriously. "It's Vastra."_

_"The Silurian?" Jack asked._

_The Doctor nodded. "The very same. There's a... situation. And I was hoping your technological expertise would be of some help." _

_"What kind of problem are we talking about?" Jack inquired, the smile melting from his face._

_"It's kind of a long story," the Doctor admitted_]

* * *

_"STRAX!" Vastra yelled at the top of her lungs. "That's the third set this month!" Strax had been using her plates as target practice yet again, throwing them at passing birds in the garden. It wasn't really a garden, per se, more like a patch of grass with three chairs and a table._

"But Ma'am, I was only -"

"I don't care what you were doing; you are costing me a fortune. We _haven't done enough cases to buy_ three sets of china, Strax…. Go and clean upstairs," she grumbled.

_"But Ma'am, I just—"_

"Now!"

He shuffled away upstairs, muttering something underneath his breath, sounding like "stupid human china….breaks too easily."

Vastra sighed. It was hard enough to solve cases _without an accomplice that had a brain full of something other than an intense love for pyrotechnics_. Also cleaning the house was a task meant for an army, certainly not two people (if you counted Strax as a person).

_It had been too long since Vastra was separated from Jenny. She kept getting updates on her health and wellbeing, but a bit of writing on paper wasn't the same._

Vastra headed over to the living room. It was freezing. Vastra never grasped the concept of reloading the logs in the fire every few hours. She sat in the armchair, absorbing the heat from the last few burning embers _when she heard the familiar sounds of the TARDIS._

_The TARDIS doors swung open when Vastra approached them, and she stepped into the time machine without hesitation, snatching her sword from a nearby tea table. "What news, Doctor?" she asked hopefully._

_The Doctor flicked a few switches on the console, and the TARDIS made that screech noise she always hoped was supposed to happen, but he didn't answer her._

_"Doctor?" she inquired again._

_"Just a moment," he said, bouncing on his toes a bit. Then he led her into what she assumed was Torchwood's headquarters, judging by the futuristic, silver interior. "Jack, you know Jack, he thinks he's found a way to help Jenny."_

_"T-that's—" At those words, Vastra's heart lifted. _

_"But let us explain it to you," he added, and she tried not to look crestfallen. She should've known. This plan, like all the Doctor's plans, could be dangerous, and in fact was likely very dangerous._

_Jack took over the conversation at that point. "Well, it's a machine from Utopia. You remember Utopia, Doctor. The sonic waves it generates can restore a person's memory... or destroy it completely." _

_"What?" Vastra squeaked, much to her embarrassment. _

_The Doctor continued, "And the machine requires that the patient be submerged underwater for some time... though that won't be a problem."_

_Vastra couldn't risk Jenny's memory on a machine that might do the opposite of what she wanted. But then again, Jenny always did believe in the impossible._

_Vastra just had to believe that hope was on her side, even if that hope was more fragile than a china plate._

_"Let's do it, Doctor," she said, gripping her sword tightly. "Let's do it."_


End file.
